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PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Shelf. 


Division....  Q.S.  J 
Section  ...» 

Number 


/ 


/ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/landofwhiteelephOOvinc 


NAGKON  WAT:  P1UNCIPAL  FAQADE 


THE  LAND 


OF  THE 

WHITE  ELEPHANT 

SIGHTS  AND  SCENES  IN  SOUTH-EASTERN  ASIA. 


A PERSONAL  NARRATIVE  OF  TRAVEL  AND  ADVENTURE 


IN 

FARTHER  INDIA, 


EMBRACING  THE  COUNTRIES  OK 

BURMA,  SIAM,  CAMBODIA,  AND  COCHIN-CHINA. 
(1871-2). 


s/ 

By  FRANK  VINCENT,  Jun. 


WITH  MAP,  PLANS,  AND  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


NEW  YORK: 

HARPER  & BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN  SQUARE. 

1874. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874,  by 
Harper  & Brothers, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


BARON  HENRY  CALICfi, 


MINISTER-RESIDENT  AND  CONSUL-GENERAL  OF 
HIS  I.  AND  R.  AP.  M.  THE  EMPEROR  OF  AUSTRIA,  KING  OF  HUNGARY,  ETC., 
IN  CHINA,  JAPAN,  AND  SIAM, 

WITH  PLEASANT  REMEMBRANCE  OF  RARE  EXPERIENCES  IN 
SHANGHAE,  CHEFOO,  AND  PEKING, 

(JTI)is  tlolnme, 

DESCRIPTIVE  OF  THE  PEOPLES  AND  COUNTRIES  OF  INDO-CHINA, 


.Js  (Sratefullg  ilnscribci) 


PREFACE 


Within  the  past  five  years  especially  the  attention 
of  the  western  world  has  been  earnestly  and  anxious- 
ly directed  to  many  of  the  countries  of  Asia  — to 
Burma,  Siam,  Cambodia,  and  Cochin-China  amongst 
others — where  unusual  and  extraordinary  innovations 
have  been  introduced,  where  encouraging  social  and 
religious  revolutions  have  been  initiated,  and  where 
‘ modern  progress  ’ is  now  so  rapid  as  almost  to 
raise  fears  of  dangerous  reaction  or  even  collapse. 

Last  year  the  Kings  of  Siam  and  Cambodia  left, 
for  the  first  time  in  history,  their  capital  cities,  and 
travelled  in  search  of  instruction  and  pleasure,  the 
one  to  Java  and  India  and  the  other  to  Hong  Kong 
and  Peking. 

Opinions,  laws,  customs,  even  religions,  which 
have  been  rooted  and  established  for  ages,  are  gra- 
dually undergoing  change,  and  a change  on  the  whole 
for  the  better.  And  still  there  are  no  countries  in 
Asia,  where  the  arts  of  civilised  life  are  understood, 
of  which  we  have  so  limited  a knowledge  as  those 
which  lie  between  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and  the  China 


VII 1 


PREFACE 


Sea.  Although  during  the  present  century  some- 
thing has  been  learned,  yet  much  remains  to  be 
told  ; a great  deal  of  important  information  has  to 
be  gathered  before  we  can  claim  a full  and  true 
acquaintance  with  the  kingdoms  and  protectorates 
of  Farther  India — their  present  condition,  capabilities, 
and  prospects.  A country  of  1,000,000  square  miles 
in  area  and  25,000,000  inhabitants — having  a won- 
derfully productive  soil  and  a greatly  extended 
commerce  — with  which  the  unavoidable  march  of 
events  shows  we  are  soon  to  have  more  intimate 
relations,  certainly  merits  a careful  study. 

A three-years’  journey  round  the  world — the  great- 
er part  of  the  time  occupied  in  which  was  devoted  to 
the  study  of  Man  and  Nature  in  the  various  lands  of 
southern  and  eastern  Asia  (from  Persia  to  Tibet,  to 
Mongolia  and  Japan),  and  but  recently  completed — 
included  visits  to  Farther  India  or  Iudo-China  (as  it 
is  also  styled)  in  the  years  1871-72.  And  the  fol- 
lowing pages  contain  a personal  narrative  of  travel 
and  adventure  in  Burma,  Siam,  Cambodia,  and  Cochin 
China,  for  which  little  else  is  claimed  than  the  merit 
of  being  true. 


F.  V.,  Jr. 


CONTENTS 


BURMA 


CHAPTER  I 

RANGOON 

Steamer  ‘Oriental’ — Glances  at  Indian  Towns — First  View  of  Land- 
Approach  to  Burma — Shipping — The  Bangoon  Biver — Bangoon  City — Ar 
rival — Search  for  Quarters — Historical — Description  of  the  City— Population— 
The  Shoay  Dagon,  or  Golden  Pagoda — Temples — Great  Bell  of  Bangoon — 
Its  Inscription  —Generous  Treatment — Other  Pagodas  . . . page  1 

CHAPTER  II 

8URMESE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

The  Burman  Bace — Ethnology — Houses— Dress — Tattooing— Food — Infant 
Smokers — Jewellery — The  Oath  of  a Witness  in  Court — Language  and  Litera- 
ture— Eeligion — Leave  Bangoon  for  Mandalay 11 

CHAPTER  III 

UP  THE  IRRAWADDY 

The  ‘Colonel  Phayre  ’ and  ‘Pegu’ — My  Fellow-Passengers — The  Irra- 
waddy Biver — Scenery  — Myanoung  — Budhist  Idols  — Market — ‘Arakan 
Hills  ’ — Biver  Boats,  Canoes,  and  Cargoes — Burmese  Characteristics — The 
‘ Marriage-knot  Prome — ‘ All  Quiet  at  the  Capital  ’ — A Boyal  Beligious 

Gift — Mengla  . . . . . . . . . . .21 


X 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  IV 

PAGHAN  AND  THE  OLD  CAPITALS 

The  Kingdom  of  Ava — Yaynan-gyoung — Petroleum  Wells — Ruins  of  Pag- 
han — Counterpart  of  an  English  Archbishop  of  the  Middle  Ages — Large 
Pagoda  of  Indian  Model — Ava — Amarapoora — Changes  of  Capital — The 
• Golden  City  ’ at  last page  31 


' CHAPTER  V 

MANDALAY 

The  Landing — Great  Bell  of  Mengoon— Mr.  Seng-Ko’s  Letter — First  View 
of  the  City — The  Suburbs — Roads — Fires — Chinese  Dwellings — Population — 
The  City — Walls;  Gates;  Streets;  Canals — The  Palace  Walls — Royal  Guards — 
The  Pakhan  Mengyee,  or  Foreign  Minister — A Burmese  Regiment  of  Infantry 
— Palace  Square — The  ‘ Grand  Hall  of  Audience  ’ — The  Prime  Minister’s 
Breakfast — Conversation  with  the  Yaw-Ahtvieen-Woon,  or  Minister  of  the  In- 
terior— The  ‘ Governor  of  the  Glass  Manufactories  ’ — Government  Accounts — 
The  King’s  Throne  and  Audience  Chamber 38 


CHAPTER  VI 

AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  AVA 

Our  Party  and  Presents —King  Mounglon  Appears— The  Royal  Person- 
Presentation  to  His  Majesty — A Spy — Tempting  Offers — A Veritable  ‘Houri  ’ 
— The  King’s  Reign — The  Government — Tyranny  and  Monopoly — Some  Appre- 
ciation of  the  Advantages  of  Western  Civilisation — Native  Account  of  the 
Introduction  of  the  Electric  Telegraph  .......  54 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

The  White  Elephant,  not  White — The  King  ‘ out  of  sorts  ’ — The  White 
Elephant  in  the  Sixteenth  and  Eighteenth  Centuries — The  White  Elephant  at 
the  Present  Day— His  Majesty’s  ‘Pass’ — Writing  Material  and  Books — A 
Burma-Chinese  Tiffin — Odd  Use  of  Tea  Leaves — The  Bazaars — Coins  ; In- 
terest; Barter;  Prices — The  Market — The  Royal  Navy— The  King’s  Barge.  65 


CONTENTS 


XI 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BHAMO  AND  THE  OLD  TRADE  ROUTE 

Leaving  Mandalay — The  Upper  Irrawaddy — Domesticated  Fish — Grand 
Defile — Mineral  and  Vegetable  Resources  of  Ava — Old  Trade  Route  to  China — 
By  Rail  to  the  Makong  River — Bhamo — Shan  Emigrants — The  Laos  Tribes — 
The  Hide  Trade — Our  Cargo — The  English  Cantonment  at  Thayet-myo — 
General  Norman  and  Secretary  Seward — Change  of  Monsoon — Proposed  Over- 
land Trip  to  Bangkok — Prome  Again — Arrival  at  Rangoon  . . page  74 


CHAPTER  IX 

FROM  MAULMAIN  AND  PENANG 

Amherst — Maulmain — Timber-Yards — Sagacity  and  Usefulness  of  the 
Elephant — Departure  for  Penang — Chinese  Passengers ; their  Life  on  Board — 
The  Bishop  of  Rangoon,  Right  Rev.  T.  Bigandet — First  View  of  Penang — 
The  Island— Province  Wellesley — Georgetown — General  Appearances — Visit 
to  ‘Penang  Mountain’ — The  Waterfall — The  Signal  Station — Magnificent 
View — Return  to  the  Steamer — The  Mangosteen — The  Dorian — The  Straits  of 
Malacca 84 


CHAPTER  X 

TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 

The  Town  of  Malacca — Chinese  Burying-ground — A Portuguese  Tiffin — Old 
Cathedral — Captain  Semmes’  Piracy— Approach  to  Singapore — The  Harbour— 
‘ Hotel  d’Europe.’  — The  Island  and  its  Products— The  ‘ Town  of  Lions  ’ — The 
American  Consul — View  from  Fort  Canning — The  Governor’s  House — Chinese 
Temple— The  Market — European  Country  Houses— New  Harbour — Cocoanut 
Plantations — Coir- Rope  Manufactory — Hon.  Mr.  Whampoa’s  Gardens— A Sago 
Manufactory 99 


CONTENT'S 


xii 


SIAM 


CHAPTER  XI 

BANGKOK 

A Short  Digression—  Steamer  ‘ Martaban  ’ — The  Gulf  of  Siam — Mouth 
of  the  Menam  River — Paknam — A Siamese  Custom  House — The  River  and 
its  Scenery — The  City — Consulates  of  the  Western  Powers— My  Hotel — The 
Royal  Secretary— The  American  Consul — A Row  through  the  City — The 
Thoroughfares — Floating  Houses— Boats  and  Canoes — Rice  Factories — A Huge 
Pagoda— General  Appearance  of  Bangkok — Wat  Cheng  Pagoda — Siamese 
Drama  and  Music — Wat  Sah  Prah  Tam, — Large  Chinese  Temple — A Ride  tc 
the  Palace  Buildings page  115 


CHAPTER  XII 

EXCURSION  TO  PECHABURI 

The  Second  King’s  Private  Secretary — The  Canal — The  Country — A Royal 
Sanitarium — American  Mission  Station — The  King’s  Summer  Palace — Cave 
Temples — Huge  Idol — The  ‘ Reclining’  Budha — A Laos  .Village — Return  to 
Bangkok . . 133 


CHAPTER  XIII 

AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 
The  Second  King — The  Consuls — The  Palace — Audience  with  His  Majesty 
— Personal  Appearance  and  Character  of  the  Second  King — Cigars,  Coffee,  and 
a Pleasant  Talk — Grand  Parade  of  the  Palace  Guards — The  Royal  Military 
Bands — Bonzes  Seeking  Alms— Interview  with  the  Regent  of  Siam — His  Grace 
Chow  Phya  Sri  Sury  Wongse — The  1 Real  Ruler  of  Siam  ’ . . . 145 

CHAPTER  XIV 

A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 

White  Elephants — Budhist  Reverence  for  White  Quadrupeds — Sir  John 
Bowring’s  Gift — Why  the  White  Elephant  is  so  Specially  Revered — A Badge 
of  Distinction — Two  Royal  Claims  to  the  Title  of  1 Master  of  Many  Whito 
Elephants ’—The  Arsenal  of  Artillery — ‘Coining  Manufacture’ — The  Wat 


CONTENTS 


Xlll 


P’hza  Keau ; or,  Temple  of  the  Emerald  Idol — Description  ; Exterior  and  In- 
terior— Library  of  Budhist  Sacred  Books — The  Supreme  King’s  Palace — Wat 
Poh ; Gigantic  Image  of  Budha — Preparation  for  the  Overland  Excursion  to 
Angkor — Our  Official  Passport — Farewell  to  Bangkok  . . . page  1 60 


CHAPTER  XV 

ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 

Canal  Travel — Bang  pa  Kong  River — Pachim — The  Governor— Interview 
with  His  Excellency — The  Citadel — Remarkable  Trees — A Paddy-Mill — 
Horses  ; Bullocks  ; and  Carts — A Siamese  Dinner — Scenery  of  the  Road — 
Kabin — Gold  Mine — The  Forest  and  its  Wild  Inhabitants — Quinine — We 
Pass  the  Boundaries  of  Ancient  Cambodia — Our  Night  Bivouacs — Sesupon — 
Siamese  Elephant,  Saddle,  and  Driver — Fish  Traps — Panoum-sok — The 
Governor’s  Wife .175 


CHAPTER  XVI 

SIAMRAP 

Ancient  Stone  Bridge — Ride  in  a Bullock-Cart — A Border  Town — A Mar- 
riage Festival — Another  Native  Dinner — Presents  from  the  Governor — A 
Water-Wheel — Canoes  and  Barges — The  Walls  and  Houses — The  Palace — 
Interview  with  the  Governor — His  Excellency’s  Band — Resume  of  Travel — 
Preparations  and  Start  for  Angkor  and  NogJcon  Wat  . . . .199 

CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR:  THE  GREAT  TEMPLE 

Preliminary  Observations — Description  of  the  Great  Ragkon  Wat;  Exterior 
and  Interior — Ro  Cement  Used  in  Construction — Quarry  Thirty  Miles 
Distant — A Half  a Mile  of  Sculptured  Wall — One  Hundred  Thousand  Separate 
Figures — Bas-Reliefs  of  the  ‘Grand  Gallery’ — Fifteen  Hundred  Solid  Columns — 
Galleries,  Image  Houses,  Pagodas- — Figures  of  Budha — Who  Built  the  Won- 
derful Nag/eon  Wat  l — When  was  it  Built? — Native  Account — Its  Great  Anti- 
quity Established — The  Lost  Tribes  of  Israel — Our  Opinion — Inscriptions  , 
Ancient  and  Modern — Former  Cannot  be  Deciphered,  and  Latter  throw  no 
Historical  Light — Chinese  Discovery,  and  Portuguese  Re-Discovery — Ragkon 
Wat  from  the  year  1295  to  1872  209 


XIV 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

A CAMBODIAN  MARRIAGE  FESTIVAL 

Other  Ruins — Lailan — The  Royal  Lake,  Sasong — -Visit  to  Siamrap — Letter 
from  the  Governor  of  Siamrap  to  the  Prime  Minister  of  Cambodia — Dinner 
at  the  Palace — Siamese  and  Chinese  Viands  Compared — Gold  Betel-Boxes, 
Cigar-holders,  Cups,  and  Dishes — Invitation  to  Accompany  some  Chinese 
Travellers  toPanompin — The  Marriage  Festival — The  Bride  and  Bridegroom — 
The  Ceremony — The  Grand  Banquet — Nak  Prat,  the  ‘ Wise  Man  ’ — The  Go- 
vernor’s Idea  Concerning  the  Builders  of  Angkor — The  Wedding  Presents — 
We  Return  to  Nagkon  Wat  ........  page  228 

CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR  : THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS 

A Visit  to  the  Old  City — Tradition  of  the  Power  and  Magnificence  of  the 
Ancient  Kingdom  of  Khaman — The  Walls — Large  Temple — Colossal  Faces 
of  Budha  built  in  the  Pagodas — The  Poh  Trees — Idol  Cells — The  Leper  King — 
Founders  of  Angkor — Is  the  Religion  of  Budha  Identical  with  that  of  Ancient 
Egypt? — Did  the  Egyptians  build  Angkor  City  and  Temple  ? — Resemblance  of 
Budhism  to  Christianity — The  Royal  Palace — Custodian  of  the  Ruined  City — 
Remains  of  an  Observatory — Immense  Stone  Griffins — The  Elephant-headed 
‘ Ganesh’  of  the  Hindoo  Mythology — Image  Houses — Description  of  the 
Observatory — Extensive  View — An  Evening  Call — Parting  from  my  Fellow- 
Travellers  239 


CAMBODIA 


CHAPTER  XX 

SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 

Preparations — My  Cochin-China  Servant — An  Amusing  Dinner — The  Start 
for  Lake  Thalaysap — Road  to  the  Lake — Description  of  our  Boat — Campong 
Pluk — A Fishing  Village — Vexatious  Delays — A Second  Start — Enter  ‘ Sweet- 


CONTENTS 


XV 


Water’  Lake — Pass  the  Boundary  of  Siam  aud  Cambodia — Boat  Life  in 
Cambodia — ‘Joss’  on  Board — The  Mesap  River — Villages — River  Fishe- 
ries— Oodong,  the  Old  Capital — Views  on  the  River — Approach  to  Panom- 
pin  page  255 


CHAPTER  XX [ 

PANOMPIN 

General  Appearances — Panompin  from  the  River — An  Interpreter  and 
Friend — Description  of  the  Capital  of  Cambodia — Roads;  Shops;  Popula- 
tion— Inhabitants;  their  Dress — Miriano,  the  Interpreter — The  Chief  Aide- 
de-Camp — The  Prime  Minister — His  Reception  Hall — The  Palace  Inclosure — 
Details  of  the  Royal  Palace  .........  269 


CHAPTER  XXII 

AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA 

Norodom  I.— Conversation  with  His  Majesty — The  Greatest  F6te  ever 
Celebrated — Interior  of  the  Palace — The  Drawing-room — Apartments  of  the 
Harem  — Dining-room  — Large  Orchestral  Music  Box,  with  a Wonderful 
Mechanical  Bird — The  King's  #1,000  Watch — The  Library — His  Majesty’s 
Bed-room  — Gold  and  Silver  Toilet  Services  — Pictures  — Observatory  and 
Telescope — Reflections — The  Artificial  (stone,  silver,  and  gold)  Mountain — 
Cutting  off  a Princess’s  Hair — The  King  an  Inveterate  Smoker — Palace 
Guards .277 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

WALKS  ABOUT  THE  CITY 

An  Old  Pagoda — Music  at  the  Palace — Machine  Shops— The  King's  Private 
Office — Ambassadors’  ‘Audience  Hall’ — Supreme  Court — Royal  Theatre — 
Barracks — His  Majesty’s  Stables  — Horses  presented  by  Napoleon  III. — 
Description  of  the  Old  Capital,  Oodong — A Telegram  from  Saigon — My  Last 
Interview  with  the  King — The  Royal  Carriage  and  Cavalry  Escort — A Royal 
Cambodian  ‘Swell;’  the  King  in  Semi-European  Garb — Present  of  a Gold 
Box — The  Theatricals — Our  Boat  and  Crew — Adieu  to  Panompin  . . 289 


XVI 


CONTENTS 


COCHIN-CHINA 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

PANOMPIN  TO  SAIGON 

The  Great  Makong  River — Products  of  the  Country — Enter  Cochin-China — 
Chaudoc — Citadel  and  Garrison — French  Justice — Lang-Xuen,  Chadec,  and 
Mitho — Intendant’s  Residence — French  Settlement  — Delta-ground  of  the 
Makong— The  Creek — Chinese  Merchant-Boats— Chalen — Ride  to  Saigon — 
Ancient  Annamite  Tombs — Arrive  at  the  City — Congratulations — Times  and 
Distances  of  the  Overland  Journey  from  Bangkok  ....  page  298 

CHAPTER  XXV 

SAIGON 

Brief  Geographical  Notice — First  Impressions — The  River:  Gunboats  and 
Shipping — Hotels  and  Cafes — Population — Administration — Streets — Botanical 
Garden — Government  House — Business — The  ‘Toiler  of  the  East’. — Schools 
for  Annamites — Army  and  Navy — Police  System — Morals— Climate : Dis- 
eases—Language — ‘France  in  the  East’ — Colonisation — The  Makong  as  a 
Water-Road — The  Value  of  Cochin  China — The  Songkoi  as  a ‘ Back  Way’  to 
the  Yang-tse-kiang— The  Saigon  River — Departure — Conclusion  . . 308 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


FULL-PAGE  ENGRAVINGS 


1.  Nagkon  Wat : Principal  Facjade  .....  Frontispiece 

BURMA 

2.  Great  Shoay  Dagon,  or  Golden  Pagoda  (Rangoon)  ...  5 

3.  Gaudama,  the  last  Budha  . . . . . .to  face  page  (5 

4.  Burmese  Image-House  ........  24 

5.  View  of  the  City  of  Mandalay 38 

6.  Budhist  Monastery  . . . . . . . . .41 

7.  The  Palace,  Mandalay.  ........  44 

SINGAPORE 

8.  The  Fan  Palm — ‘The  Traveller's  Fountain’  ....  109 

SIAM 

9.  General  View  of  Bangkok  and  the  Menam  River  . . . .115 

10.  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Siam  . . . . . . .118 

11.  Temples  and  Pagodas  at  Bangkok  ......  125 

12.  Wat  Cheng  Pagoda,  Bangkok  . . . . . . . 12G 

13.  Brass  Idol  in  Temple,  Bangkok  . . . . . . .130 

14.  Supreme  King  of  Siam  in  his  State  Robes  . . . . .132 

15.  The  Second  King  of  Siam  in  his  State  Robes  ....  145 

16.  Temple  of  the  Emerald  Idol  . . . . . . . .165 

17.  Siamese  Gentleman  and  Lady  .......  197 

9 


XV111 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


RUINS  OF  ANGKOR 

18.  Nagkon  Wat:  Entrance  West  of  the  First  Enceinte  (inner  view) 

to  face  page  209 

19.  ,,  ,,  North-West  Edicule 210 

20.  ,,  „ Peristyle  of  the  Gallery  of  Bas-Reliefs  . . . 214 

21.  Sculptures  at  Nagkon  Wat  ........  216 

22.  Nagkon  Wat:  Fragment  of  Bas-Relief  . .....  218 

23.  Colonnade  at  Nagkon  Wat  . ...  . . . . . 220 

24.  The  Grand  Staircase,  Nagkon  Wat  ......  222 

25.  View  from  Central  Pagoda,  Nagkon  Wat  .....  224 

26.  Angle  of  the  Great  Court  of  the  Temple  .....  227 

27.  Sculptures  at  Entrance  to  Nagkon  Wat  .....  238 

CAMBODIA 

28.  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Cambodia 277 

29.  Queen  of  Cambodia  and  Royal  Children 283 

30.  Panompin,  the  Capital  of  Cambodia 289 

COCHIN  CHINA 

31.  Cochin  Chinese  Prince  and  Attendants 299 

32.  Street  View,  Saigon  .........  306 

33.  Government  House,  Saigon  (French,  recently  completed)  . . 308 

34.  Annamite  Lady 310 


SMALLER  ENGRAVINGS 

Page 

1.  Burmese  Woman 13 

2.  Burmese  Judge,  Clerks,  and  Attendants 17 

3.  Copy  of  an  Old  Burmese  Painting 19 

4.  Irrawaddy  River-Boat .........  25 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  x[x 

Pack 

5.  Elephant  employed  in  a Timber-Yard,  Maulmain  ....  86 

6.  A Budhist  Priest 89 

7.  Temple  of  the  Sleeping  Idol,  Bangkok 128 

8.  The  Royal  Guards 152 

9.  The  Regent  of  Siam . .155 

10.  The  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  .......  157 

11.  Siamese  War-Elephant 195 

12.  Cambodian  Female  Band 207 

13.  Priests’  Houses,  Nagkon  Wat  . . . . . .211 

14.  Sculptures  in  the  City  of  Angkor 214 

15.  Columns  of  Nagkon  Wat  ........  217 

16.  Wooden  Idol  ..........  241 

1 7.  The  Leper  King 243 

18.  Banks  of  the  River  Mesap,  Cambodia  ......  266 

19.  Annamite  Female 287 

20.  Gift  from  the  King  of  Cambodia  .......  295 

21.  Makong  River-Boats 304 

22.  Annamite  Male  ..........  309 

■23.  Annamite  Soldiers 311 


MAP  AND  PLANS 


Sketch  Map  of  the  Author’s  Route. 

Plan  of  the  Province  of  Siamrap ; showing  the  location  of  the  Ruins  of  Angkor. 
Ground  Plan  of  the  Great  Nagkon  Wat,  in  Eastern  Siam. 


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THE  LAND 

OF 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTER  L 

RANGOON 

It  was  at  daybreak  on  the  2nd  of  April,  1871,  that 
we — an  English  friend  was  with  me — first  saw  the 
shores  of  Burma.  We  had  been  a short  time  at  sea, 
having  left  Madras  eight  days  previously,  but  the  end 
of  the  voyage  was  none  the  less  welcome,  for  it  was 
about  the  season  that  the  monsoon  changes,  and  those 
terrific  revolving  storms  called  cyclones  sweep  the 
upper  part  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  so  often  with  fatal 
effect.  Our  steamer  was  the  ‘ Oriental’  (Capt.  Smith). 
We  had  a full  list  of  passengers,  many  of  them  being 
English  officers,  who  were  ordered  from  various  Indian 
stations  to  the  cantonment  of  Tounghoo,  on  the  Sittang 


2 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


river,  in  north-eastern  Burma.  The  route  usually  taken 
by  these  steamers — calling  at  Masulipatam,  Coconada, 
Vizagapatam,  and  Bimlipatam  on  the  coast  of  India, 
and  thence  nearly  due  east  to  Rangoon — is  about  a 
thousand  miles  in  length. 

We  enjoyed  a remarkably  pleasant  voyage.  Masu- 
lipatam  was  reached  on  the  second  day.  This  town 
is  of  importance  only  as  being  the  nearest  seaport  to 
the  large  city  of  Secunderabad,  in  the  Nizam’s  dominions 
of  Southern  India.  In  1865  a tremendous  cyclone 
and  tidal  wave  destroyed  thirty  thousand  of  the  in- 
habitants, and  nearly  all  the  buildings  of  the  town.  Co- 
conada is  a larger  town  than  Masulipatam,  and  from  it 
are  exported  large  quantities  of  cotton,  castor-oil,  seeds, 
and  grain.  On  the  third  day  we  anchored  off  Viza- 
gapatam, a large  town,  most  picturesquely  situated  on 
a plain  surrounded  by  gently  sloping  hills,  near  the  sea 
shore.  The  houses  are  built  of  mud  and  unburnt 
bricks ; and  crowning  the  summits  of  several  of  the 
nearer  hills  are  graceful  little  temples  ; and  at  their  bases 
date  and  cocoa  palms,  whose  green,  feathery  leaves 
add  very  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  Leaving 
Bimlipatam — a simple  cluster  of  mud  huts — we  saw 
nothing  but  sky  and  water  until  the  lighthouse  on  the 
Alguada  reef,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  distant  from  Cape 


» 


RANGOON 


3 


Negrais  (the  south-west  extremity  of  Pegu),  rose  up 
from  the  ocean’s  bed  before  us.  It  is  erected  on  a very 
dangerous  reef,  more  than  a mile  in  length,  and  much 
of  which  is  only  just  above  water  at  low  tide.  The 
shaft,  built  of  a red  stone,  is  160  feet  in  height,  and, 
no  land  being  in  sight,  certainly  presented  a most 
singular  appearance ; however,  with  our  binoculars  we 
could  distinguish  two  or  three  lines  of  billows  dashing 
themselves  one  after  another  upon  the  dark  rocks. 

Soon  after  4 sighting  ’ the  land  we  received  on  board 
the  pilot,  and  then  half  an  hour’s  steaming  brought  us 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Rangoon  river,  with  its  low. 
wooded  shores,  and  red  obelisks  on  either  headland — 
warnings  to  the  mariner.  Sandbanks,  whose  edges  are 
marked  by  large  iron  buoys  indicating  the  channel’s 
bed,  stretched  for  a long  distance  out  to  sea.  We 
passed  a dozen  or  more  large  ships  before  reaching  the 
river’s  mouth ; these,  the  captain  informed  us,  an- 
chored there  in  order  to  free  themselves  from  the  port 
dues  to  which  they  would  be  subject  if  lying  at  the 
city,  and  the  masters  go  4 up  to  town  ’ and  engage  their 
cargoes.  At  its  entrance  the  Rangoon  river  is  two 
miles  in  width,  while  opposite  the  city,  twenty-six 
miles  above,  it  narrows  to  about  a third  of  a mile,  with 
four  or  five  fathoms’  depth.  The  foreign  ships  anchored 


4 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


in  the  river  made  a very  considerable  show,  our  visit 
being  at  the  height  of  the  rice  season.  Rangoon,  lying 
upon  level  ground,  extends  for  about  a mile  along  the 
river,  and  perhaps  three  times  that  distance  inland. 
By  the  bank  of  the  river  there  runs  a broad  maca- 
damised street,  called  ‘ the  Strand,’  and  facing  this  are 
the  Government  offices  and  many  imposing  and  sub- 
stantial stores  and  dwelling-houses.  The  city  abounds 
with  rich  tropical  foliage,  which  shades  many  of  the 
teak  and  bamboo  built  huts,  and  from  the  steamer’s 
deck  we  can  see  a small  English  cantonment,  two  or 
three  European  churches,  and  several  large  pagodas, 
with  gilded  and  richly  ornamented  spires.  Beyond  the 
city  we  see  a jungle  of  palms  and  bananas,  and  bamboos 
stretching  away,  a waving  sea  of  green,  to  the  very 
horizon  itself.  The  country  about  Rangoon  — the  delta 
of  the  great  Irrawaddy  river — is  of  much  the  same 
nature  as  that  at  the  embouchure  of  the  Ganges,  being 
low,  sandy,  and  muddy,  and  subject  to  tremendous 
floods  in  the  rainy  season. 

There  are  two  or  three  hotels  in  Bangoon,  but  these 
were  full,  and  not  being  able  to  obtain  rooms  in  any 
private  dwelling,  we  were  compelled  ‘ to  go  to  house- 
keeping,’ i.e.  to  have  an  entire  cottage  and  order  our 
meals  from  a neighbouring  bakery.  The  next  few  days 


RANGOON 


5 


were  pleasantly  passed  in  seeing  ‘ the  sights  ’ of  the 
city. 

Eangoon,  the  commercial  capital  of  Burma,  was 
founded  by  King  Alompra,  the  Burmese  conqueror  of 
Pegu,  in  1755,  and  was  peopled  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  ancient  capital  of  the  province,  who  were  brought 
away  for  that  purpose.  It  was  captured  by  the 
British  during  the  first  Burmese  Avar  in  1824,  but  was 
afterwards  restored.  In  1852  it  again  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  English,  and  will  now  remain,  doubtless, 
permanently  in  their  possession.  The  population  at 
present  is  about  60,000  — Burmese,  Chinese,  and 
Hindoos.  The  streets  of  Rangoon  are  laid  out  at  right 
angles,  and  most  of  them  are  broad,  macadamised,  and 
clean.  The  greater  part  of  the  European  private 
residences  are  raised  upon  piles.  These  are  built  of 
plain  teak  boards  and  have  tiled  roofs,  but  the  native 
town  or  quarter  is  very  mean-looking,  the  huts  there 
being  of  bamboo,  with  palm-leaf  thatched  covers. 

The  most  wonderful  sight  in  Rangoon  is  the  great 
Shoay  Dagon , or  Golden  Pagoda — the  largest  edifice 
of  the  kind  in  Burma,  and  probably  the  largest  in  the 
world.  It  is  situated  about  a mile  from  the  city  upon 
a hill  perhaps  eighty  or  a hundred  feet  in  height. 
The  entrance,  guarded  by  two  huge  griffins  of  brick 


6 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


and  mortar,  passes  between  long  narrow  sheds,  which 
are  beautifully  carved  and  gaudily  painted  in  ver- 
milion and  gold,  and  covered  with  horrid  represen- 
tations of  the  Budhistic  tortures  reserved  for  the 
damned  ; and  thence,  mounting  a very  dilapidated 
staircase,  the  immense  stone  terrace  upon  which  the 
pagoda  itself  stands  is  reached.  This  terrace  is  nearly 
a thousand  feet  square,  and  the  base  of  the  structure, 
standing  at  its  centre,  is  octagonal-shaped  and  fifteen 
hundred  feet  in  circumference,  while  the  entire  height 
of  the  pagoda  is  three  hundred  feet.  It  is  built  of  solid 
masonry  and  lime,  covered  with  gold  leaf,  and  gradually 
tapers  to  a spire,  which  terminates  in  a tee  (umbrella), 
an  open  iron-work  cap,  twenty-six  feet  in  height.  The 
gold  upon  this  pagoda  is  said  to  equal  the  weight  of  a 
former  Burmese  king,  and  the  spire  blazes  so  fiercely 
under  a noonday’s  sun  as  to  almost  dazzle  the  beholder. 
At  the  base  of  the  immense  structure  are  broad  stone 
steps  and  large  griffins,  and  also  some  smaller  pagodas 
of  like  design  and  finish. 

Within  the  enclosure  of  the  pagoda  are  many 
temples,  most  of  them  containing  huge  images  of 
Gfaudama  (the  last  Budha),  made  of  wood,  brick  and 
lime,  marble  and  metal,  and  nearly  all  thickly  gilded ; 
some  of  the  sitting  figures  are  twelve  feet,  and  some  of 


GAUDAHA,  THE  LAST  BUDHA 


RANGOON 


7 


the  standing  ones  as  much  as  eighteen  feet  in  height.  I 
noticed  that  all  the  faces  wore  a humorous,  contented 
expression,  one  sensual,  however,  rather  than  intel- 
lectual. Some  of  their  drapery  was  made  of  minute 
pieces  of  glass,  especially  were  the  fringes  of  the  robes 
thus  ornamented.  This  gave  them  the  appearance  of 
coats  of  mail,  and  when  different  coloured  glasses  were 
used  in  a court  dress  the  effect  was  quite  gay.  Some 
of  the  idols  were  clothed  in  yellow  garments — yellow 
being  the  ordained  colour  of  all  priestly  robes.  On 
small  tables  in  front  of  many  of  the  images  were 
placed  candles,  flowers,  and  little  paper  flags ; some  of 
these  being  used  in  the  forms  of  worship,  and  some 
having  been  presented  as  offerings  by  religious  devotees. 
Lofty  poles  were  planted  at  short  intervals  around  the 
pagoda.  These  were  crowned  with  tees,  and  also  at 
several  feet  from  their  tops  were  fixed  rudely  made 
game-cocks — the  national  emblem  of  the  Burmese — 
and  the  remainder  of  the  pole  was  hung  with  vari- 
coloured streamers.  Burma  is  well  known  to  be  one 
of  the  strongholds  of  Budhism.  The  Shoay  Dagon 
pagoda  derives  its  peculiar  sanctity  from  being  the 
depository,  according  to  Burmese  tradition,  of  relics 
of  the  last  four  Budhas  — viz.  the  staff  of  Kan- 
thathon,  the  water-dipper  of  Gaunagon,  a garment 


8 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


of  .Kathapa,  and  eight  hairs  from  the  head  of  Gau- 
dama.  Burman  pagodas,  it  may  be  observed,  are  not 
temples,  but  monuments  erected  to  the  memory  of 
Gaudama,  and  they  are  all  supposed  to  contain  sacred 
relics,  and  consequently  are  objects  of  worship  to  the 
Budhist.  The  Golden  Pagoda  rears  its  lofty  head  from 
a beautiful  grove  of  Palmyra  and  cocoa  palms  and 
mango  trees,  but  it  is  not  a very  symmetrical  structure, 
the  base  being  far  too  large  and  the  shaft  too  massive 
to  secure  an  elegant  effect. 

What  is  justly  termed  ‘ the  great  bell  ’ of  Rangoon 
is  hung  in  a gaily  ornamented  pavilion  near  the  large 
pagoda.  I stood  upright  under  it  with  perfect  ease, 
and  a dozen  men  might  have  stood  there  with  me. 
The  bell  has  a long  inscription  in  the  Burman  character, 
eulogistic  of  the  king  who  presented  it,  cut  around  its 
circumference.  Hopes  are  expressed  that  for  this 
meritorious  gift,  replete  with  the  virtue  of  beneficence, 
he  (the  king  who  presented  the  bell)  may  be  conducted 
to  Nieban  (the  Budhist  heaven),  and  obtain  the  de- 
stined blessing  of  men,  nats  (genii),  and  Brahmas  by 
means  of  divine  perfection,  and  that  he  may  also  obtain 
in  his  transmigration  only  the  regal  state  among  men 
and  nats.  ‘ Thus,  in  order  to  cause  the  voice  of 
homage  during  the  period  of  five  hundred  years  to  be 


RANGOON 


9 


heard  at  the  monument  of  the  divine  hair  in  the  city  of 
Rangoon,  let  the  reward  of  the  great  merit  of  giving 
the  great  bell  called  Maha  Gauda  be  unto  the  royal 
mother  queen,  the  royal  father  proprietor  of  life,  lord 
of  the  white  elephant,  the  royal  grandfather  Aloungmeng, 
the  royal  uncle,  the  royal  aunt-queen,  the  royal  sons, 
the  royal  daughters,  the  royal  relatives,  the  royal 
concubines,  the  noblemen,  the  military  officers,  and 
teachers.  Let  the  nats  who  guard  the  religious  dis- 
pensation five  thousand  years  ; the  nats  who  guard  the 
royal  city,  palace,  and  umbrella ; the  nats  who  all 
around  guard  the  empire,  the  provinces,  and  villages ; 
the  nats  who  guard  the  monuments  of  the  divine  hair, 
around  the  hill  Tampakokta,  together  with  the  nats 
governing  Bomma  and  Akatha,  and  all  rational  beings 
throughout  the  universe,  utter  praises  and  accept  the 
supplications.’ 

Though  many  natives  were  in  the  pagoda  enclosure, 

we  were  allowed  to  freely  walk  about,  to  enter  all  the 

image-houses,  and  to  inspect  everything  at  our  leisure, 

the  Burmese  having  less  fanatical  notions  in  regard  to 

their  religious  edifices  than  either  the  Hindoos  or 

Mohammedans.  The  English  military  officials  have 

built  a strong  brick  wall,  pierced  for  musketry,  about 

the  Golden  Pagoda,  to  serve  as  a temporary  retreat  in 

3 


10 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


case  of  any  sudden  outbreak  among  the  natives,  and 
because  it,  being  upon  high  ground,  commands  the 
city,  and  the  cantonments  are  near  at  hand. 

There  are  several  other  smaller  pagodas  in  Rangoon, 
but  all  of  them  are  built  pretty  much  on  the  same  plan ; 
the  base  consists  of  one  or  more  quadrangles,  succeeded 
by  a tapering  bell-shaped  structure,  either  round  or 
forming  a polygon,  the  apex  of  which  is  crowned  with 
the  tee  (umbrella),  and  without  that  addition  it  would 
be  considered  incomplete.  The  building  itself  is 
invariably  a solid  mass  of  masonry  constructed  of 
unburnt  brick,  with  an  outer  coating  of  plaster,  which 
usually  is  richly  gilded. 


BURMESE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 


11 


CHAPTER  II. 

BURMESE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 

It  is  now  generally  believed  that  the  Burmese,  and 
indeed  all  the  various  races  and  nations  of  Indo-China, 
migrated  at  a remote  period  from  the  plateaus  of 
Central  Asia,  and  that  they  are  of  mixed  origin,  pos- 
sessing some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Hindoo 
(the  Caucasian)  and  some  also  of  the  Chinaman  (the 
Mongol).  Thus  in  person  they  are  short  and  stout, 
with  the  small,  oblique  eyes,  high  and  prominent  cheek- 
bones, and  flat,  short,  and  broad  nose  of  the  Tartar, 
Chinese,  and  Japanese  races,  and  the  ‘ raven  black  ’ 
hair,  pearly  teeth,  and  olive-brown  skin  of  the  Hindoos 
and  the  Malays  ; and  though  of  nearly  the  same  stature 
as  the  latter,  they  generally  possess  the  stouter  frames 
of  the  former.  The  Burmese  are  a simple-minded, 
indolent  people,  frank  and  courteous,  fond  of  amuse- 
ment and  gay-coloured  apparel,  friendly  among  them- 
selves and  hospitable  to  strangers.  They  appreciate 
a quiet  life,  smoking,  and  gossiping,  and  sleeping 


12 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


throughout  the  clay,  and  listening  to  wild  music  and 
singing  through  half  of  the  night ; ‘ stern  ’ ambition  is 
among  them,  indeed,  a very  rare  trait  of  character. 

Burmese  houses  are  built  of  teak  wood,  palm  leaf, 
bamboo,  rattan,  and  grass ; and  are  generally  raised 
upon  piles  four  or  five  feet  from  the  ground,  as  a pre- 
servative against  fevers,  bred  by  the  great  dampness  of 
the  climate,  and  to  provide  against  the  inundations  of 
the  rainy  season.  Native  villages  often  consist  of  but 
one  long  and  broad  street,  running  through  perfect 
jungles  of  date,  banana,  palm,  or  other  tropical  trees ; 
and  beneath  and  among  these,  nearly  concealed  from 
view,  are  the  little  bamboo  huts,  artfully  carved 
monasteries,  and  tapering  pagodas. 

The  costume  of  the  Burmese  is  remarkably  simple. 
Both  sexes  wear  a short  white  jacket,  called  an  engie ; 
and  the  male  a putso  (a  piece  of  silk  or  cotton  cloth, 
usually  the  former),  and  of  gay  colour  (red  or  yellow), 
about  a yard  in  width,  and  four  or  five  in  length, 
which  is  worn  round  the  hips  ; while  the  women  wear 
a temine,  which  is  a nearly  square  piece  of  cloth,  or 
silk,  sufficiently  large  to  wrap  around  the  body,  but 
fastened  merely  by  tucking  the  outer  end  within  the 
other,  and  consequently  it  gapes  open  at  every  step 
taken  by  the  wearer,  and  discloses  nearly  the  whole  of 


BURMESE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 


13 


one  leg  ; but  this  exhibition,  being  ‘ the  custom,’  is  not 
deemed  immodest.  The  men  wear  gay-coloured  silk 
bandannas — gounboungs— in  adjusting  which  they  some- 
times entwist  a thick  lock  of  hair  ; the  women  wear  no 


BURMESE  WOMAN 


head  covering.  Both  men  and  women  leave  their  hair 
long ; the  former  gather  it  in  a bunch  on  the  top  of 
then  head,  and  the  latter  comb  it  straight  back  from 
the  forehead  and  tie  it  in  a knot  on  the  back  of  the 


14 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


head.  The  men  seldom  or  never  wear  any  hair  upon 
their  feces,  unless  it  might  be  a very  feeble  moustache. 
The  sexes  generally  walk  barefooted,  though  the 
women  sometimes  wear  a sort  of  leather  sandal,  made 
after  the  classical  Roman  model. 

The  Burmese  males  are  all  tattooed  from  above  the 
hips  to  the  knees  with  a blackish-blue  pigment,  and 
some  besides  have  punctured  spots  upon  the  upper 
part  of  the  body  stained  a vermilion  colour.  This  tat- 
tooing of  the  thighs  is  a painful  operation ; it  is  done 
when  they  are  very  young,  a little  at  a time,  and  opium 
is  often  administered  on  such  occasions,  and  deaths 
from  an  overdose  of  this  drug,  or  from  inflammation, 
are  not  infrequent.  Regarding  this  curious  custom  of 
tattooing  the  body  of  the  males,  and  of  the  immodest 
dress  of  the  females,  an  old  traveller  in  Burma  states 
that,  ‘ the  men' of  this  nation  have  a singular  custom  of 
tattooing  their  thighs,  which  is  done  by  wounding  the 
skin  and  then  filling  the  wound  with  the  juice  of 
certain  plants,  which  has  the  property  of  producing  a 
black  stain.  Some,  besides  both  their  thighs,  will  also 
stain  their  legs  of  the  same  colours,  and  others  paint 
them  all  over  with  representations  of  tigers,  cats,  and 
other  animals.  The  origin  of  this  custom,  as  well  as  of 
the  immodest  dress  of  the  women,  is  said  to  have  been 


BURMESE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 


15 


the  policy  of  a certain  queen,  who,  observing  that  the 
men  were  deserting  their  wives  and  giving  themselves 
up  to  abominable  vices,  persuaded  her  husband  to 
establish  these  customs  by  a royal  order,  that  thus  by 
disfiguring  the  men,  and  setting  off  the  beauty  of  the 
women,  the  latter  might  regain  the  affections  of  their 
husbands.’ 

The  diet  of  the  Burmese  is  both  simple  and  whole- 
some. The  general  food  of  the  nations  of  southern 
and  eastern  Asia  is  rice.  Of  the  Burmese  we  may 
say  that  salt  fish,  rice  and  ngapee , and  fruits  constitute 
the  solid  and  substantial  part  of  their  bill  of  fare,  while 
betel-nut  and  the  cheroot  make  quite  an  enjoyable 
dessert.  The  condiment  ngapee , for  which  there  is  a 
very  great  demand,  is  made  of  preserved  fish,  fish 
which  has  arrived  at  that  epicurean  stage  termed 
‘ high  : ’ it  is  a sort  of  paste  which  mixes  with  rice  like 
the  Indian  sauce,  chutnee.  The  betel-nut  is  extensively 
used,  and  most  houses  have  about  or  near  them 
trellises  of  the  piper-betel  plant,  which  is  chewed  with 
the  nut.  Smoking  is  universal  and  continual  among 
both  sexes  and  all  ages ; cheroots  of  solid  tobacco,  but 
more  often  a preparation  covered  with  a green-leaf 
wrapper,  and  some  of  them  of  enormous  size,  are  used. 
Burmese  boys  take  to  smoking  even  earlier  than  do 


16 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


the  youths  of  this  country.  I have  frequently  seen 
babes  at  their  mothers’  breast  alternating  the  nourish- 
ment of  ‘ Natures  Nile  ’ with  pulls  and  puffs  at  their 
cheroots. 

The  natives  of  Burma  do  not  appear  to  wear  so 
much  jewellery  as  the  Hindoos,  but  they  delight  espe- 
cially in  ear  ornaments.  The  lobe  of  the  ear  is  bored  to 
a hole  of  astonishing  size — often  an  inch  in  diameter — 
and  in  it  various  articles  are  worn : pieces  of  wood, 
jewels,  or  rolls  of  solid  gold  or  silver.  When  no 
ornaments  are  in  the  ears,  the  men  often  put  their 
cherootsj  or  any  small  article  in  frequent  use,  through 
them,  and  the  women  use  them  as  bouquet- holders 
or  flower-stands,  thus  presenting  a very  comical  appear- 
ance. 

Burmese  laws  on  the  whole  seem  wise,  and  evidently 
are  calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of  justice  and 
morality  ; but  they  very  often  prove  futile,  owing  to 
the  tyranny  and  rapacity  of  the  king  and  the  venality 
of  many  of  his  officers.  False  swearing  is  particularly 
obnoxious  to  the  Burmese  citizen.  A witness  in  court 
takes  a fearful  oath,  which  is  so  singular  that  I give  it 
entire,  through  a translation  : ‘ I will  speak  the  truth. 
If  I speak  not  the  truth,  may  it  be  through  the  in- 
fluence of  the  laws  of  demerit — viz.  passion,  anger,  folly, 


BURMESE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 


17 


pride,  false  opinion,  immodesty,  hard-heartedness,  and 
scepticism — so  that  when  I and  my  relations  are  on 
land,  land  animals — as  tigers,  elephants,  buffaloes, 
poisonous  serpents,  scorpions,  &c. — shall  seize,  crush, 
and  bite  us,  so  that  we  shall  certainly  die.  Let  the 
calamities  occasioned  by  fire,  water,  rulers,  thieves, 


and  enemies  oppress  and  destroy  us,  till  we  perish  and 
come  to  utter  destruction.  Let  us  be  subject  to  all  the 
calamities  that  are  within  the  body,  and  all  that  are 
without  the  body.  May  we  be  seized  with  madness, 
dumbness,  blindness,  deafness,  leprosy,  and  hydrophobia. 
May  we  be  struck  with  thunderbolts  and  lightning,  and 


18 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEIT1ANT 


come  to  sudden  death.  In  the  midst  of  not  speaking 
truth  may  I be  taken  with  vomiting  clotted  black 
blood,  and  suddenly  die  before  the  assembled  people. 
When  I am  going  by  water  may  the  water  nats  as- 
sault me,  the  boat  be  upset,  and  the  property  lost ; and 
may  alligators,  porpoises,  sharks,  and  other  sea  monsters 
seize  and  crush  me  to  death  ; and  when  I change 
worlds  may  I not  arrive  among  men  or  nats,  but 
suffer  unmixed  punishment  and  regret,  in  the  utmost 
wretchedness,  among  the  four  states  of  punishment, 
Hell,  Prita,  Beasts,  and  Athurakai.’ 

‘ If  I speak  the  truth,  may  I and  my  relations, 
through  the  influence  of  the  ten  laws  of  merit,  and  on 
account  of  the  efficacy  of  truth,  be  freed  from  all 
calamities  within  and  without  the  body,  and  may  evils 
which  have  not  yet  come  be  warded  far  away.  May 
the  thunderbolts  and  lightning,  the  nat  of  the  waters, 
and  all  sea  animals  love  me,  that  I may  be  safe  from 
them.  May  my  prosperity  increase  like  the  rising  sun 
and  the  waxing  moon  ; and  may  the  seven  possessions, 
the  seven  laws,  and  the  seven  merits  of  the  virtuous  be 
permanent  in  my  person ; and  when  I change  worlds 
may  I not  go  to  the  four  states  of  punishment,  but  attain 
the  happiness  of  men  and  nats,  and  realise  merit, 
reward,  and  perfect  calm.’ 


BURMESE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS 


19 


The  vernacular  tongue  of  the  Burmese  has  neither 
declension  nor  conjugation,  and  is  very  difficult  for 
Europeans  to  learn.  It  is  written  from  left  to  right, 
with  no  division  between  the  words,  and  with  letters 
most  of  which  are  circles  or  parts  of  circles.  The 


COPT  OF  AN  OLD  BURMESE  PAINTING 


alphabet  contains  forty-four  letters.  Printing  is  un- 
known. The  Burmese  write  generally  upon  long  pieces 
of  black  prepared  paper,  and  with  thick  soapstone 
pencils.  Knowledge  is  so  widely  diffused  that  there 
are  few  of  the  common  people  even  who  cannot  read 
and  write.  Burmese  literature  consists  for  the  most 
part  of  treatises  upon  theological  and  legal  themes  in 


20 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


the  Pali  dialect,  and  legends  of  the  different  Budhas, 
simple  ballads,  and  books  of  astrology,  cosmography, 
and  astronomy  in  both  the  Pali  and  Burmese  languages. 

The  religion  of  this  nation  is  Budhism ; and  all  the 
peoples  of  Farther  India  profess  the  same  faith.  And 
Budhism  is,  without  doubt,  the  most  extensively  diffused 
religion  of  the  world — its  followers  numbering  more 
than  three  hundred  millions — though  it  has  never  been 
extended  beyond  the  limits  of  Asia  and  its  adjacent 
islands.  The  Burmese  burn  their  dead,  as  do  the 
Hindoos.  The  bodies  of  the  priests  are  first  embalmed, 
and  then  publicly  burned  with  great  demonstration. 

Having  seen  all  of  interest  in  Eangoon,  I determined 
to  make  an  excursion  up  the  great  Irrawaddy  river,  as 
far  as  Mandalay,  the  capital  of  Ava,  to  pay  my  respects 
to  His  Majesty  the  King.  One  of  a large  flotilla  of 
English  steamers  runs  monthly  to  Bahmo,  nearly  a 
thousand  miles  from  Eangoon,  and  there  are  weekly 
trips  as  far  up  as  the  capital.  My  English  friend  pre- 
ferred to  remain  in  Eangoon  until  my  return.  But 
nothing  could  change  my  plan,  and  so,  all  preparation 
being  made,  I embarked  on  the  flat  ‘ Pegu,’  towed  by 
the  steamer  ‘ Colonel  Phayre,’  on  the  7 th  of  April,  for 
a long  river  voyage  through  British  Burma,  and  into 
the  very  centre  of  the  kingdom  of  Ava. 


UP  THE  IRRAWADDY 


21 


CHAPTEE  III. 

UP  THE  IRRAWADDY 

Owing  to  the  shallow  water  we  could  not  ascend  the 
Eangoon  river  in  order  to  enter  the  Irrawaddy,  but 
were  compelled  to  go  by  the  Bassein  Creek,  and  then 
through  another  called  the  China  Bakeer,  a narrow  but 
deep  stream,  with  low,  jungle  clad  banks.  We  had  an 
excellent  breeze  during  the  day  and  through  part  of 
the  night,  until  early  morning,  when  so  dense  a fog 
enveloped  us  that  the  captain  dropped  anchor  and 
awaited  daylight,  before  effecting  which,  however,  the 
vessels  grounded  near  the  bank,  but  managed  after  a 
while  to  work  off  the  sandy  bottom.  At  the  breakfast 
table  I noticed  that  the  European  passengers  were 
eight  in  number,  viz.  three  young  ladies  who  were 
going  to  Thayet-myo,  to  see  some  relatives  in  the  can- 
tonments ; a young  married  couple  just  out  from 
England,  who  had  taken  passage  to  Mandalay — the 
gentleman  was  a mining  engineer  and  under  engage- 
ment with  the  King  to  prospect  and  bore  for  coal  in 


22 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


Ava — an  assistant  who  accompanied  him  to  the  capital ; 
and  two  English  Officers  who  were  going  to  canton- 
ments at  Thayet-myo.  Then,  as  ‘ upper  deck  ’ passen- 
gers, there  was  a company  of  English  troops,  and,  as 
‘ lower  deck,’  fully  fifty  Burmese,  Chinese,  Hindoos,  and 
Mussulmans,  who  were  ‘ booked  ’ for  various  towns  along 
the  river.  The  natives  pay  Bs.  15  (a  rupee  is  about 
50  cts.)  for  passage  to  Mandalay,  and  provide  their  own 
food ; the  cabin  passengers  (European)  pay  Rs.  100, 
and  Rs.  4 per  diem  additional  for  the  table. 

At  noon  on  the  second  day  from  Rangoon  we 
wheeled  into  the  great  Irrawaddy — the  fourth  river 
of  the  world  in  point  of  size,  and  the  great  highway 
into  the  dominions  of  his  ‘ golden-footed  ’ Majesty  of 
Ava.  The  head  of  this  celebrated  river  — styled 
‘ Irrawaddy,’  from  the  elephant  of  Indra — has  not  yet 
been  actually  discovered.  It  is  probably,  however,  in 
the  Himalaya  mountains,  east  of  Tibet,  and  near  the 
Brahmapootra.  This  would  make  the  entire  river — 
which  flows  southerly  and  debouches  into  the  Gulf  of 
Martaban,  or  Bay  of  Bengal,  through  nine  large  mouths 
and  a perfect  labyrinth  of  small  ones — about  1,400 
miles  in  length.  Its  width  varies  from  three  to  five 
miles  when  flowing  through  British  Burma,  and  may, 
perhaps,  average  a mile  or  less  from  Mandalay  to 


UP  THE  IRRAWADDY 


23 


Bhamo,  a thousand  miles  from  the  sea.  During  a 
great  part  of  the  year  the  channel  is  very  intricate  and 
the  current  swift,  but  in  May  navigation  is  compa- 
ratively easy,  for  in  that  month  the  river  begins  to 
rise,  and  so  continues  until,  during  July,  its  height 
above  the  lowest  level  will  often  be  as  much  as  forty 
feet. 

The  scenery  of  the  river  became  more  interesting  as 
we  proceeded.  Sometimes  for  miles  and  miles  we  had 
in  sight  nothing  but  the  gigantic  ‘ elephant  ’ grass  (so 
called  from  its  being,  when  in  flourishing  condition, 
tall  enough  to  conceal  an  elephant) ; then  we  would 
have  straggling  villages — the  huts  made  of  bamboo 
framework  and  palm  mats,  and  covered  with  grass 
roofs — and  the  people  in  gay-coloured  garments  would 
flock  to  the  river’s  bank,  and  squatting  down  upon 
their  haunches,  gaze  curiously  at  the  wonderful  fire- 
boat  and  its  ‘ barbarian  ’ passengers ; then  followed  a 
long  reach  of  sandy  or  muddy  beach;  then  we  would 
pass  miles  of  bananas,  growing  so  rankly  as  to  re- 
semble the  common  jungle ; and  next  a beautiful 
fringe  of  the  richest  green  foliage  skirting  the  water’s 
edge.  The  first  large  village  at  which  we  stopped  was 
Myanoung.  Some  of  us  went  on  shore  to  see  ‘ the 
sights,’  which  consisted  of  half  a dozen  pagodas  and 


24 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


image-houses.  I endeavoured  to  purchase  a couple  of 
small  gilt  images  of  Gaudama  from  aj vongyee  (priest), 
and  offered  a rupee  in  payment,  but  he  either  did  not 
understand,  or  the  offer  was  insufficient,  or  his  religious 
scruples  prevented  the  sale.  The  English  authorities 
have  built  a brick  market-house  with  an  iron  roof 
here  for  the  accommodation  and  use  of  the  natives. 
In  it  we  saw  an  excellent  variety  of  vegetables,  fruits, 
and  grains,  also  some  few  stalls  containing  dry  goods. 
We  had  anchored  near  the  bank,  and,  during  the 
night,  female  coolies  walked  up  and  down  the  steep 
bluff,  some  fifty  feet  in  height,  carrying  upon  their 
heads  large  flat  baskets  of  paddy  (rice  in  the  husk)  on 
board  the  ‘ flat.  ’ — 3,000  baskets  of  the  grain  being  our 
cargo  from  that  place. 

Leaving  Myanoung,  we  found  the  scenery  improve 
still  more.  The  high  sand  and  mud  banks  which 
before  had  obstructed  our  view  of  the  country  inland 
now  had  disappeared,  and  we  saw  upon  our  left  a low 
'range  of  hills  called  the  ‘ Arakan,’  and  upon  our  right 
plains  covered  with  the  densest  of  luxurious  vegetation. 
The  current  became  stronger,  and  the  stream  more 
tortuous,  averaging  in  breadth  less  than  a quarter  of  a 
mile.  Near  where  a spur  of  the  ‘ Arakan  Hills  ’ comes 
to  an  abrupt  termination  at  the  water’s  edge  we  ob- 


BURMESE  IMAGE-HOUSE 


UP  TIIE  IRRAWADDY 


25 


much  as  thirty  feet  in  length,  and  had  been  recently 
gilded  and  painted. 

The  curious  river  craft  of  various  forms  and  size 
afforded  us  much  amusement.  Teak  timber  seemed  to 
be  the  material  most  generally  employed  in  their  con- 


served a number  of  small  niches  cut  in  the  face  of  the 
rock ; there  were  forty  in  one  row.  These  contained 
brick,  and  plaster,  and  marble  (white  marble  of  very 
good  quality  is  quarried  some  forty  or  fifty  miles 
from  Ava)  images  of  Gaudama,  placed  in  various 
positions.  One  very  large  ‘ reclining  ’ Gaudama  espe- 
cially claimed  our  attention.  It  must  have  been  as 


IRRAWADDY  RIVER  BOAT 


26 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


struction.  They  are  of  all  lengths  and  widths,  and 
the  usual  style  is  that  modelled  somewhat  after  the 
ancient  Phoenician  galleys.  They  have  one  lofty  mast, 
and  a long  yard  which  supports  an  immense  4 spread  ’ 
of  canvas ; then  there  are  usually  two  studding-sails 
and  two  upper  sails ; besides  these  are  oars  for  eight, 
ten,  or  twelve  rowers,  when  there  is  no  wind  ; most  of 
them  have  high  and  beautifully  carved  sterns,  sitting 
on  which  the  steersman  directs  the  course  of  the  vessel 
at  will.  The  captain  told  me  he  had  seen  native  boats 
whose  yards  were  110  feet  in  length,  and  whose  ropes 
required  1 22  4 blocks  ’ (pulleys)  to  assist  in  the  proper 
manoeuvering  of  the  sails.  Against  a strong  current 
these  boats  sail  but  poorly  ; three  or  even  four  months 
from  Eangoon  to  Mandalay,  a distance  of  seven  hun- 
dred miles,  is  the  average  time  employed.  The 
Burmese  have  also  long  narrow  canoes,  made  from 
the  single  trunk  of  a tree,  which  they  paddle  very  dex- 
trously  and  swiftly.  An  upset,  which,  by  the  way,  does 
not  often  happen,  seems  to  occasion  them  no  incon- 
venience ; for  should  such  an  accident  occur,  they  at 
once  right  their  canoes,  and  swim  round  until  they 
are  partly  baled,  when  they  re-enter,  and  shaking 
themselves,  with  a grin,  paddle  on  as  if  nothing  wet 
and  uncomfortable  had  happened.  The  Irrawaddy 


UP  THE  IRRAWADDY 


27 


boats  and  rafts  are  often  the  homes  of  large  families. 
Their  cargoes  are  usually  salt  fish,  earth-oil  (petroleum), 
paddy , and  the  condiment  ngapee. 

The  Burmese  men  are  remarkably  indolent ; the 
women,  however,  are  industrious,  but  it  is  because  the 
men  compel  them  to  do  all  the  household  work,  at 
least  the  heaviest  and  most  irksome  part  of  it,  and 
they  will  even  sit  about  a place  where  their  wives  are 
at  work,  chatting  and  smoking,  or  else  stretched  upon 
the  ground  at  full  length  asleep.  If  you  give  the 
native  sufficient  rice  and  ngapee  to  keep  him  just  above 
the  starving  point,  he  will  not  work  for  Bs.  2 per  diem  ; 
but  take  these  articles  of  diet  away,  and  he  will  cheer- 
fully work  for  eight  annas  (25  cts.)  However,  like 
their  neighbours  the  Chinese,  they  make  excellent 
carpenters  and  blacksmiths.  Marriage  among  the 
Burmese  is  a most  peculiar  institution,  and  the  ‘ mar- 
riage knot  ’ is  very  easily  undone.  If  two  persons  are 
tired  of  each  other’s  society,  they  dissolve  partnership 
in  the  following  simple  and  touching  but  conclusive 
manner  : They  respectively  light  two  candles,  and  shut- 
ting up  their  hut,  sit  down  and  wait  quietly  until  they  are 
burned  up.  The  one  whose  candle  burns  out  first,  gets 
up  at  once  and  leaves  the  house  (and  for  ever),  taking 
nothing  but  the  clothes  he  or  she  may  have  on  at  the 


28 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


time  ; all  else  then  becomes  the  property  of  the  other 
party. 

On  the  12th  we  reached  the  large  town  of  Prome. 
It  lies  upon  a level  plain,  which  juts  out  into  the  river 
a considerable  distance.  The  hills  round  about  were 
covered  with  custard  apples,  bananas,  and  many 
unknown  plants.  The  fourth  largest  pagoda  of  Burma 
is  situated  in  Prome  ; a party  from  the  steamer,  in- 
cluding myself,  visited  it.  In  general  arrangements 
and  character  it  resembles  the  Golden  Pagoda  at  Ran- 
goon ; some  of  the  images  of  Gaudama  and  some  of 
the  bells  (cast  from  a mixed  sort  of  metal  resembling 
bronze)  were  of  fair  model  and  most  extraordinary 
workmanship.  The  people  evidently  possess  no  small 
talent  and  ability  for  Easterns,  but  are  too  indolent  to 
employ  their  faculties  of  mind  or  body  in  severer  labour 
than  eating,  sleeping,  chatting,  and  smoking.  After 
our  walk  to  the  pagoda,  which,  situated  upon  a hill 
back  of  the  town,  is  fully  a hundred  feet  high,  we 
visited  several  native  huts,  where  the  women  were 
weaving,  upon  primitive  looms,  silk  cloth  of  various 
gay  patterns,  stripes  of  alternate  colours  being  the  most 
esteemed.  Between  Prome  and  Thayet-myo  the 
scenery  of  the  river  is  most  diversified  ; highlands  and 
lowlands,  islands  and  sandbanks,  villages  and  boats, 


UP  THE  IRRAWADD'Y 


29 


pagodas  and  temples,  thick  groves  of  palms  near  the 
banks  and  bare  ranges  of  hills  in  the  distance  follow 
in  quick  succession  and  combine  to  make  a picturesque 
scene,  which  is  calculated  long  to  remain  green  in  the 
memory. 

A day  or  two  after  leaving  Thayet-myo  we  passed 
the  steamer  ‘ Nagpore  ’ on  her  downward  passage. 
The  captain  of  this  vessel  reported  ‘ all  quiet  at  the 
capital,’  though  disturbances  had  been  feared  for  some 
time  previously,  and  for  the  following  reason  : It 

seems  the  King  had  built  a very  fine  tee , or  gilt 
umbrella,  as  a gift  for  the  great  Shoay  Dagon  pagoda 
at  Rangoon,  and  wished  to  send  it  down  in  grand  state 
with  an  escort  of  10,000  troops.  To  this  the  British 
Commissioner  objected,  reducing  the  number  of  the 
escort  to  300  ; but  afterwards  political  and  prudential 
motives  had  induced  him  to  forbid  any  escort  at  all 
to  accompany  the  tee.  This  decision  naturally  irritated 
the  King  exceedingly,  and  grave  fears  of  rebellion  or 
riot  were  entertained  by  the  European  residents  at  the 
capital. 

The  same  day  we  passed  the  ‘ boundary  pillars  ’ 
which  separate  the  British  territory  from  that  of  the 
King  of  Ava,  and  anchored  at  a small  village  called 
Mengla  for  the  night.  As  soon  as  we  were  made  fast 


30 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WIHTE  ELEPHANT 


about  thirty  coolies,  men  and  women,  began  to  bring 
firewood  on  board.  I was  much  surprised  at  the 
immense  loads  the  women  would  carry — six  or  eight 
sticks  of  wood  four  feet  long  and  nearly  as  large  as 
one’s  leg — and  these  they  carried  from  the  top  of  the 
steep  bank  down  to  the  steamer’s  deck,  and  threw  into 
the  hold. 


PAGHAN  AND  THE  OLD  CAPITALS 


31 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PAGHAN  AND  THE  OLD  CAPITALS 

What  is  generally  known  , by  the  term  Burma  com- 
prises two  distinct  regions  : British  or  Lower  Burma, 
which  is  under  English  rule,  and  Upper  Burma,  or 
more  properly  Ava,  under  the  dominion  of  a native 
sovereign.  British  Burma  embraces  the  three  divisions 
of  Arakan,  on  the  eastern  shores  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal ; 
Pegu,  bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Martaban,  on  the 
south ; and  the  long  and  narrow  strip  of  country 
styled  Tenasserim,  which  extends  to  the  Isthmus  of 
Kraw  on  the  Malay  peninsula.  These  divisions  of  the 
country  are  some  of  the  results  of  two  wars  which  the 
English  Government  have  waged  with  Burma.  The 
first,  in  1824,  caused  by  some  insults  offered  to  the 
British  flag  by  the  Viceroy  of  Rangoon,  was  settled 
two  years  later  by  ceding  to  the  crown  of  England 
the  provinces  of  Arakan  and  Tenasserim  ; the  other, 
concluded  in  1853,  and  brought  about  by  native  out- 
rages towards  European  merchants  and  aggressions  upon 
British  territory,  resulted  in  the  annexation  of  the  rich 


32 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


province  of  Pegu  to  the  already  enormously  extended 
Anglo-Indian  empire  in  the  east.  So  that  at  the 
present  day  King  Mounglon  has  no  sea-board  : Ava  is 
entirely  inland.  The  Irrawaddy  river  still  remains  as 
an  outlet  for  the  produce  of  the  kingdom,  though 
passing  through  foreign  territory. 

Proceeding  up  the  river, .we  anchored  on  the  15th  at 
the  picturesque  town  of  Y ay  nan- g young,  with  its  long 
line  of  high-sterned  fishing  boats  moored  to  the  shore, 
and  with  scores  of  pagodas  and  temples  crowning  the 
neighbouring  hill-tops  for  miles  around.  This  town  is 
noted  for  its  export  of  earth-oil,  or  petroleum,  so  valu- 
able to  the  Government  as  a source  of  revenue ; the 
wells  are  situated  about  six  miles  distant  from  the 
river,  and  the  oil  is  transported  to  this  the  nearest 
port  in  large  earthen  jars  carried  on  carts  drawn  by 
bullocks,  and  then  shipped  to  Eangoon.  We  received 
on  board  3,000  baskets  of  paddy  for  the  King  at 
Mandalay,  and  the  night  was  nearly  spent  before  it  was 
all  shipped.  The  manner  of  loading  was  peculiar. 
Five  large  boats  were  rowed  out  from  the  shore  in 
succession,  and  being  made  fast  alongside,  coolies 
carried  the  rice,  in  baskets  holding  sixty  pounds  each, 
upon  their  heads,  and  deposited  it  loose  in  the  hold  of 
our  ‘flat.’ 


PAGHAN  AND  THE  OLD  CAPITALS 


33 


The  scenery  was  fast  becoming  dull  and  monotonous 
The  banks  were  of  sand,  and  inland  low  and  barren 
hills  alone  were  to  be  seen.  Pagodas  and  temples 
seemed  to  increase  in  number,  and  many  zyats  (free 
houses  of  rest  for  travellers)  also  appeared.  The  ruins 
of  Paghan — a city  founded  over  a thousand  years  ago — 
were  an  interesting  study.  No  other  signs  of  its  former 
splendour  now  remain,  however,  than  some  pagodas  and 
temples,  a portion  of  very  massive  brick  wall,  and  part 
of  an  old  gateway.  The  ruins  extend  for  eight  miles 
along  the  bank  of  the  river  and  two  miles  inland.  The 
pagodas  are  of  all  sizes,  shapes,  and  almost  colours,  and 
there  are  said  to  be  nearly  a thousand  of  them  still 
standing.  They  are  very  massively  built,  the  founda- 
tions being  of  stone  and  the  superstructure  of  brick  and 
plaster.  Many  of  them  are  square  structures  raised 
over  vaults,  where  Budhist  priests  dwell ; then  come 
several  terraces  gradually  decreasing  in  width,  and  a 
bell-shaped  spire,  or  in  some  of  them  a slender  dome, 
rises  above  all.  In  the  temples  are  many  images  of 
Gaudama,  some  of  them  of  white  alabaster  and  others 
of  brick  and  plaster,  painted  red,  and  twenty  feet  in 
heis;ht. 

The  various  forms  and  contents  of  the  pagodas  and 
temples  now  remaining  render  it  extremely  doubtful 


34 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


wliat  people  were  formerly  the  builders  or  possessors 
of  this  ancient  city  of  Paghan.  Thus,  besides  the  purely 
Budhistical  monuments,  there  are  statues  bearing  re- 
markable resemblances  to  those  of  the  Egyptian  Eeti- 
chism ; others  are  of  a Brahminical  or  Hindoo  cha- 

i 

racter ; and  some  even,  wonderful  as  it  may  seem, 
bespeak  a Christian  origin,  or  rather  possess  elements 
which  have  evidently  been  incorporated  with  the  doc- 
trines of  Christianity.  In  support  of  this  last  statement 
I will  quote  the  observations  of  a recent  visitor  at 
Paghan  ; says  the  author,  speaking  of  one  of  the  ruined 
buildings,  ‘ On  either  side  of  the  entrance  to  this 
pagoda,  at  the  summit  of  the  steps  above  the  dragons, 
were  two  small  figures  of  priests  standing  in  long 
gowns,  with  umbrellas  over  their  heads.  One  of  these 
figures  was  the  very  counterpart  of  the  statue  of  an 
English  archbishop  of  the  Middle  Ages  ; and  I was  once 
before  startled  with  a similar  resemblance  in  a life- 
sized  image  of  the  same  character,  covered  with  gold 
mixed  with  black,  near  the  foot  of  the  staircase  in 
the  rooms  of  the  Asiatic  Society  at  Calcutta.  More- 
over, the  umbrella  over  the  little  archbishop  bore  a 
remarkable  similarity  to  the  small  circular  roof  over  the 
pulpit  of  an  English  cathedral,  which  is  popularly  sup- 
posed to  serve  as  a sounding  board.  Other  resem- 


PAG II AN  AND  THE  OLD  CAPITALS 


35 


blances,  including  the  ground  plan  of  most  of  the 
temples,  which  is  shaped  like  a cross  after  the  manner 
of  European  cathedrals,  have  induced  some  missionaries 
to  presume  that  these  buildings  have  a Christian  origin. 
This  idea  seems  somewhat  preposterous.  It  is  far  more 
likely  that  there  is  a Budhist  element  in  the  Christ- 
ianity of  the  dark  ages,  of  which  monasticism  evidently 
forms  a part,  just  in  the  same  way  that  there  is  a great 
deal  of  Platonism  in  the  early  Fathers.’ 

Just  after  leaving  Paghan  the  bank  rises  in  a high 
sandstone  bluff,  and  cut  in  the  almost  inaccessible  face 
of  this  were  many  small  openings  which  led  to  equally 
small  chambers  within,  where  some  ascetic  priests  had 
taken  up  their  abode.  The  next  town  we  reached 
was  called  Tsagaing.  It  lies  at  the  foot  of  some 
beautiful  hills  which  are  almost  covered  with  pagodas, 
temples,  griffins,  and  long,  winding  staircases.  Some 
of  the  stone  staircases,  leading  from  the  little  town  to 
the  pagodas  on  the  tops  of  the  hills,  were  as  much  as 
half  a mile  in  length.  Before  reaching  Ava  we  no- 
ticed on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  an  immense  bell- 
shaped pagoda.  It  was  built  after  the  Mussulman 
model  found  in  India,  and  reminded  me  strongly  of 
some  of  the  tombs  which  are  to  be  seen  in  the  old  cities 
near  Delhi.  This  pagoda  is  esteemed  very  holy,  and 


36 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


once  a year  a great  mela,  or  religious  festival  of  dif- 
ferent nations,  is  held  in  its  honour.  Ava,  formerly  the 
capital,  and  built  on  an  island,  is  now  only  a miserable 
village,  though  the  massive  ruins  still  standing  attest 
its  former  splendour.  The  ancient  city  wall,  sixteen 
feet  high  and  ten  feet  thick,  formerly  enclosed  six  or 
seven  miles  of  buildings.  Ava  was  very  famous  for  its 
silk  manufacture  in  olden  times.  Amarapoora,  which 
was  also  at  one  time  the  metropolis  of  Burma,  and 
contained  175,000  inhabitants,  was  but  dimly  seen 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  six  miles  east  of  Ava. 

The  Burmese  have  been  accustomed  to  change  their 
capital  rather  frequently  for  many  years  back  ; this  was 
owing,  sometimes,  to  revolution  ; again  to  royal  caprice, 
or  superstition,  or  else  change  of  dynasty.  Thus  Ava 
was  first  made  capital  a.d.  1364  ; nextMonchobo  (about 
1740)  was  used  as  the  seat  of  government  by  King 
Alompra  (surnamed  ‘ the  Great,’  though  a man  of  low 
birth,  who  having  first  driven  the  Talains  out  of  Pegu, 
caused  himself  to  be  proclaimed  king,  then  built  a 
palace  at  Dagong,  changing  its  name  to  Rangoon,  made 
a treaty  with  the  English,  and  established  a new  dynasty 
— that  at  present  on  the  throne),  it  being  his  native 
town  ; then,  in  1782,  the  court  was  removed  to  Amara- 
poora; in  1819  the  government  was  changed  back  to 


VIEW  OF  THE  CITY  OF  MANDALAY 


PAGHAN  AND  THE  OLD  CAPITALS 


37 


Ava,  the  reigning  king  being  thus  advised  by  the  court 
astrologers.  In  1839  Ava  was  destroyed  by  an  earth- 
quake, and  then  again  Monchobo  became  the  capital ; 
not  long  afterwards  Amarapoora  was  a second  time 
chosen  as  the  residence  of  the  fickle  court ; next  again, 
for  the  third  time,  Ava,  and  now,  since  1857,  Mandalay 
has  been  the  abode  of  royalty  and  power. 

Mandalay  is  but  a few  miles  above  Amarapoora,  on 
the  same  bank  of  the  river.  On  the  18th  we  anchored 
at  the  port  or  landing  of  the  ‘ golden  city,’  and  so  safely 
reached  the  proposed  limit  of  my  excursion  north  from 
Kangoon. 


5 


38  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTER  V. 

MANDALAY 

All  that  can  be  seen  of  the  city  of  Mandalay  from 
the  river  is  a confused  mixture  of  spires,  and  towers, 
and  temple-tops  appearing  above  the  rich  masses  of 
foliage  with  which  it  is  thickly  surrounded.  We 
anchored  at  twelve  o’clock  by  the  side  of  a dreary 
sandbank,  with  some  fine  large  trees  a little  distance 
inland,  a few  bamboo  huts  in  sight,  and  the  usual 
complement  of  dirty  and  curious  natives  squatting  along 
the  bank — the  landing  being  three  miles  distant  from 
the  city.  Just  behind  us  in  the  river  lay  a large 
steamer  belonging  to  the  King,  but  which  was  not 
then  in  use.  His  Majesty  owns  several  others  which 
are  in  the  same  predicament ; and,  besides,  he  is  build- 
ing ten  steamers  of  a larger  size  and  better  constructed — 
for  what  purpose  I did  not  learn.  These  steamers  he 
upon  the  stocks  in  rows,  and  are  covered  with  huge 
sheds ; they  are  being  built  of  solid  teak  timber,  and 
the  work  is  done  by  the  natives  under  the  direction  of 


MANDALAY 


39 


a European,  who  bears  the  proud  title  of  Shipwright 
to  H.M.  the  King  of  Ava. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  four  or  five 
miles  from  Mandalay,  there  is  a very  large  bell,  the 
largest  in  the  world  with  the  exception  of  that  at 
Moscow.  It  is  said  to  be  twelve  feet  high,  and  more 
than  sixteen  feet  in  diameter  at  the  lip,  and  could  easily 
contain  twenty  people.  There  is  no  clapper,  as  in 
former  times  it  was  beaten  from  without.  It  emits  no 
sound  now.  It  is  still  slung  from  a great  beam  by  a 
huge  copper  hook  or  sling;  but  the  hook  has  given 
way,  and  the  bell  now  rests  upon  some  blocks  of  wood 
carved  in  strange,  grotesque  figures.  The  thickness  of 
the  metal  of  the  bell  varies  from  six  inches  to  twelve,  and 
its  actual  weight  is  about  ninety  tons.  The  exterior  mea- 
surements of  this  bell  do  not  much  exceed  those  of  ‘ the 
great  bell  of  Pekin,’  that  being  thirteen  feet  in  diameter 
and  fourteen  feet  in  height,  but  weighing  only  fifty- 
three  and  one-half  tons,  being  much  thinner  than  the 
Burman  bell.  Early  on  the  morning  following  our 
arrival  Mr.  Seng-Ko,  a Chinese  gentleman  to  whom  I 
had  brought  a letter  of  introduction,  called  on  board. 
I was  much  surprised  at  the  abilities  of  this  gentleman. 
He  is  one  of  the  richest  men  at  Mandalay,  speaks 
English  fluently,  and  enjoys  the  especial  confidence  and 


40 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


friendship  of  the  King,  having  a private  entree  to  ‘ the 
Presence  ’ by  day  or  night.  He  remained  to  breakfast, 
and  before  leaving  promised  ‘ to  do  his  best  ’ to  obtain 
me  an  audience  with  His  Majesty. 

At  six  o’clock  the  next  morning  Mr.  Seng-Ko’s 
servant  arrived  with  a pony ; he  also  brought  a note 
from  his  master,  which  read : ‘ I have  seen  His  Majesty 
personally,  and  spoken  to  him  about  your  desire  to  see 
him.  H.M.  is  happy,  and  has  desired  me  to  bring 
you  up  to-day  (Thursday).  I send  you  the  pony  ; 
the  boy  will  be  your  guide  to — Yours  faithfully,’  &c. 
I did  not  delay  for  my  breakfast,  but  mounting  the 
beautiful  little  Pegu  pony,  started  at  once  for  the  city. 
Eiding  up  the  sandbank,  which  is  covered  by  the  river 
in  the  wet  season,  a little  inland  we  passed,  first,  a 
large  new  palace,  which  the  King  has  just  built  as  a 
residence  during  the  warmest  months  of  the  year.  It 
consists  of  an  immense  square  of  fantastic-shaped 
buildings,  with  pretty  little  carved  and  peaked  roofs, 
the  whole  lavishly  ornamented  with  fancy  wood  carv- 
ings. A bamboo  fence,  twenty  feet  high,  and  fully  a 
quarter  of  a mile  square,  surrounds  the  royal  mansion. 
Then  we  crossed  an  immense  plain  and  saw  before  us 
the  numerous  pagoda  and  temple  spires  of  ‘ the  golden 
city,’  and  beyond,  a small  eminence  called  ‘ Mandalay 


MANDALAY 


41 


Hill,’  covered  with  monasteries  and  bell  towers.  During 
a great  part  of  the  year  this  plain  is  inundated  with 
water,  and  then  for  locomotion  the  natives  are  com- 
pelled to  betake  themselves  to  canoes  and  rafts  in 
lieu  of  ponies  and  bullock-carts.  Mandalay  is  a 
new  city ; as  recently  as  1855  the  area  now  thickly 
peopled  was  merely  farm  land  ; building  began  the 
following  year,  and  the  Court  has  resided  there  since 
1857.  The  houses  in  the  suburbs  of  Mandalay  do  not 
at  all  differ  from  those  in  any  of  the  villages  seen 
along  the  river ; they  are  simple,  frail  structures  of 
bamboo  framework  and  mat  covering,  with  grass  or 
palm-leaf  thatched  roofs,  and  are  raised  some  four  or 
five  feet  from  the  ground  upon  wooden  piles,  as  a 
precaution  against  inundations,  dampness,  fevers,  and 
dysentery.  This  lower  story  is  sometimes  used  as  a 
stable  for  the  domestic  animals. 

In  the  principal  streets  of  the  suburbs  the  majority  of 
the  houses  are  either  built  of  brick  or  large  bricks  are 
nailed  to  the  timbers  and  sidings,  and  then  the  whole 
exterior  is  thickly  plastered  with  lime  or  mud.  Some 
of  the  Chinese  shops  are  two  stories  in  height;  these 
present  a very  neat  and  tidy  appearance.  Numbers  of 
pagodas  and  temples  and  kyoungs  (schools  or  monas- 
teries) were  seen  in  all  directions.  As  many  of  the 


42 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


houses  are  built  of  very  inflammable  material,  and  are 
crowded  so  closely  together,  and  as  the  natives  are  so 
apathetic  and  phlegmatic,  a fire  becomes  a terrible 
scourge.  One  occurred  several  weeks  before  my  visit, 
and  destroyed  about  five  thousand  houses  ; our  road 
led  through  the  burned  district,  and  the  desolate 
picture  there  presented  was  fearful  to  behold.  The 
ground  was  covered  with  the  charred  and  blackened 
remnants  of  huts  and  household  goods,  the  dead  trees 
were  heaped  about  and  still  smoking,  and,  as  if  to 
heighten  the  mournful  spectacle,  here  and  there,  at 
considerable  intervals,  might  be  seen  little  mat  hovels 
which  had  just  been  erected  by  some  of  the  sufferers, 
who  had  saved  only  enough  to  shelter  themselves  from 
the  scorching  mid-day  sun. 

At  last  we  halted  before  a plain  brick  house  built 
much  in  the  European  style ; and,  dismounting,  I was 
cordially  welcomed  by  the  Chinaman,  who,  after  he 
had  examined  my  present  for  the  King — a large  magni- 
fying glass,  with  a bright  gilt  rim  and  an  ivory  handle — 
and  pronounced  it  both  novel  and  appropriate,  ordered 
his  own  pony  to  be  brought,  and  then  we  rode  at  once 
to  the  palace — distant  about  a mile  and  a half  from  his 
residence.  By  the  wayside  I noticed  a large  image  of 
Gaudama  (the  last  Budha),  which  had  its  head  protected 


MANDALAY 


43 


from  the  sun  by  a broad-brimmed  and  peaked-crowned 
Chinese  hat ; the  picture  produced  by  the  smiling,  gilt- 
faced god  shaded  by  such  a curious  head-gear  was 
most  ludicrous. 

There  are  several  Asiatic  nations  represented  in 
Mandalay,  the  population  of  which  is  about  a hundred 
thousand,  but  the  Chinese,  dwelling  mostly  in  the 
suburbs  and  southern  parts  of  the  city,  have  the  greater 
part  of  the  trade  in  their  hands  ; the  Europeans,  living 
in  the  western  quarter,  all  told,  number  but  fourteen, 

I 

some  of  them  being  officials  of  the  English  Govern- 
ment and  a few  being  engaged  in  trade. 

The  city  proper  is  a square — a mile  on  each  side — 
and  is  surrounded  by  a lofty  and  very  thick  wall  of 
loose  brick  (unplastered)  with  a notched  parapet,  and 
having  a broad  and  deep  moat  filled  with  clear  water. 
There  are  three  gates  on  each  side,  and  macadamised 
streets  about  a hundred  feet  in  width,  leading  from 
them,  intersect  the  city  at  right  angles  ; then  between 
these  there  are  small  and  irregular  streets  and  by-paths. 
Along  the  sides  of  the  larger  avenues  there  run  channels 
for  carrying  water  (which  is  brought  from  the  river  in  a 
canal  fifteen  miles  long)  throughout  the  city  Each 
gateway  is  surmounted  by  a lofty  pyramidal-shaped 
wooden  tower  with  the  customary  terraced  roof,  and 


44 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


at  irregular  intervals  there  are  turrets  raised  a little 
higher  than  the  wall  and  surmounted  by  small  wooden 
pavilions  of  the  same  model  as  those  over  the  great 
gates.  We  crossed  the  moat  on  a massive  wooden 
bridge,  and  passed  through  one  of  the  western  gate- 
ways— the  only  one  through  which  corpses  are  allowed 
to  be  taken  from  the  city,  as  my  guide  observed.  The 
gates  are  of  enormous  height  and  thickness,  and  are 
built  of  teak  beams  fastened  together  with  huge  iron 
bolts.  A few  half-naked  soldiers,  who  were  stationed 
as  a guard  just  within  the  entrance,  saluted  us  by 
squatting  on  the  ground  in  true  native  fashion.  On 
reaching  the  palace  we  left  our  ponies  and  proceeded 
on  foot,  entering  through  the  south  gate. 

The  outer  palace  walls  are  double,  the  one  being 
thirty  feet  distant  from  the  other  ; both  are  built  of 
brick,  and  enclose  about  seventy-two  acres  of  ground. 
The  western  gate  is  strictly  set  apart  for  the  use  of  the 
ladies  of  the  Court ; near  the  one  at  which  we  entered 
were  some  barracks  and  a guard-house,  before  which 
latter,  standing  in  a row,  were  five  of  the  King’s  soldiers. 
They  wore  brass  hats,  shaped  somewhat  like  a broad- 
brimmed  ‘ panama,’  with  griffins  in  front ; red  coats, 
with  green  facings  (British  army  pattern) ; their  legs 
and  feet  were  bare  ; and  their  only  weapon  consisted  of 


THE  PALATE,  MANDALAY 


MANDALAY 


45 


an  immense  dah,  an  instrument  shaped  precisely  like 
our  butchers’  cleavers,  and  which  they  held  over  their 
shoulders  in  a most  laughable  serio-comic  manner. 
It  is  not  always,  indeed,  that  the  Burmese  soldiers  adopt 
even  so  much  uniform  as  this  ; their  profession  can 
often  only  be  known  by  a tattooed  mark  on  the  back  of 
the  neck.  Walking  into  the  square,  which  was  filled 
with  natives  of  all  ranks  passing  in  every  direction,  I 
saw  upon  the  right  a small  pagoda,  farther  on  a bell 
tower,  and  in  the  left-hand  corner  a magazine  and 
some  buildings  filled  with  light  ordnance ; next  came 
the  ‘ High  Court,’  and  then  the  ‘ Royal  Mint,’  while 
towering  high  above  all  rose  the  graceful  spire  of  the 
magnificent  ‘ Hall  of  Audience.’ 

In  a small  building,  or  rather  shed  (for  it  was  a very 
plain  bamboo  affair,  and  contained  no  furniture,  carpets, 
or  vessels  of  any  kind),  near  the  High  Court-house, 
was  the  Pakhan  Mengyee , or  Foreign  Minister,  and 
upon  him  we  made  our  first  call.  The  shed  was 
entirely  open  on  the  front  side,  and  there  a low  bamboo 
platform  was  placed ; and  upon  this  we  sat,  and  taking 
off  our  shoes  and  leaving  them  underneath  (agreeably 
to  Burmese  etiquette)  we  walked  in  a rather  humble 
manner  into  the  diplomatic  office  and  sat,  or  more 
properly  lay,  down  upon  the  floor  on  our  hips,  with  the 


46 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


feet  thrust  far  to  the  rear,  for  the  soles  of  the  feet  must 
never  be  shown  when  in  the  presence  of  a superior. 
The  Pakhan  Mengyee  was  taking  his  breakfast,  but  he 
at  once  entered  into  conversation  with  my  Chinese 
cicerone  concerning  my  nationality,  age,  business, 
travels,  &c.  This  gentleman,  whose  rank  is  only  se- 
cond to  members  of  the  royal  family,  appeared  to  be 
upwards  of  sixty  years  of  age  ; he  had  a rather  sinister 
and  crafty  countenance  and  a very  pompous  and  con- 
ceited manner.  The  minister  was  plainly  dressed,  with 
his  hair  ‘ put  up  ’ in  a knot  and  a white  handkerchief 
twisted  into  a coil  and  bound  once  round  his  head, 
the  two  ends  left  out  and  appearing  just  above  the  hair, 
like  the  war  plumes  of  a North  American  Indian.  I 
afterwards  noticed  that  all  the  Government  officials  and 
clerks  wore  this  style  of  turban  or  head-dress,  instead 
of  the  usually  seen  vari-coloured  bandanna. 

Leaving  the  Foreign  Office,  we  passed  round  the 
Hloi-daw,  or  ‘ High  Court  ’ — a large  but  not  imposing 
building,  painted  red,  with  gilt  ornamental  work  ; and 
in  which  the  four  principal  Woongyees,  or  ministers  of 
the  King,  sit  to  adjudicate  all  appeal  cases — and  were 
about  to  enter,  through  a double  line  of  walls,  the 
enclosure  which  contains  the  palace  buildings,  when  our 
attention  was  attracted  by  a regiment  of  native  Burmese 


MANDALAY 


47 


soldiers,  who  had  been  out  at  target  practice.  They 
marched  by  us  in  column,  four  deep,  clothed  in  nothing 
but  the  doty  (waist  cloth),  and  carrying  huge  old- 
fashioned  muskets,  closely  resembling  the  historic 
blunderbuss  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Judging  from 
the  appparance  of  these  troops  I should  say  that  a 
thoroughly  equipped  European  soldier  would  be  a 
match  for  at  least  ten  of  them,  and  yet  it  has  been 
said  that  the  Burman  soldier  fights  well  under  favouring 
circumstances.  But  the  chief  excellence  of  a Burman 
army  lies  in  the  absence  of  the  impedimenta ; the  sol- 
dier carries  his  bed  (a  mat  or  blanket)  at  one  end  of 
his  matchlock,  a package  of  powder  and  a brass  kettle 
at  the  other,  and  his  provisions  (rice,  salt,  and  the  half- 
putrid  fish  condiment  called  ngapee)  in  a cloth  about 
his  waist.  After  a few  words  with  the  ‘ Captain  of  the 
Guard,’  who  showed  me  some  ‘ Schneider  ’ rifles  recently 
imported,  we  entered  the  square  which  contains  the 
temporal  abode  of  the  ‘ Lord  of  Earth  and  Air.’  Near 
the  centre  of  this  enclosure  is  the  imposing  ‘ Hall  of 
Audience,’  which  is  only  used  on  great  or  solemn  occa- 
sions, as  for  the  reception  of  foreign  ambassadors  or 
the  celebration  of  royal  fetes.  The  building  consists 
of  a lofty  tower,  with  terraces  of  little  roofs  rising  one 
above  the  other,  and  crowned  by  the  gold  umbrella  in 


48 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


the  centre,  and  two  smaller  ones  on  each  wing,  over  a 
long  central  court  or  hall  (both  also  in  the  many-roofed 
style  of  Burmese  architecture),  and  the  whole  gaudily 
painted  in  red  and  gold  and  covered  with  ornate 
carvings  and  decorations  of  brass,  china,  and  glass.  In 
front  of  the  grand  staircase  are  two  immense  cannon, 
mounted  on  primitive  carriages  having  solid  wooden 
‘ block  ’ wheels.  On  the  right  hand  were  barracks,  a 
carriage  foundry,  and  the  royal  gardens  ; while  on  the 
left  were  ordnance  stores,  the  abode  of  the  ‘ white 
elephant,’  a building  filled  with  canoes,  and  some  sheds 
containing  war  and  work  elephants  — these  latter 
black. 

We  then  called  at  the  office  of  the  Prime  Minister, 
whom  we  found,  with  his  assistant,  discussing  a whole- 
some breakfast.  The  food  for  each  was  brought  by 
servants  in  four  or  five  little  bowls  placed  upon  trays, 
and  they  ate  with  their  fingers,  taking  something  from 
each  bowl  in  turn.  The  meal  embraced  vegetables 
and  fish,  rice,  ngapee , greens,  and  spices  ; water  only, 
from  wooden  cups,  was  drunk  during  the  breakfast. 
My  Chinese  friend  here  learned  that  the  King  had  just 
terminated  his  first  ‘ audience,’  and  so  I would  have  to 
wait  nearly  two  hours,  and  then  attend  the  second. 
During  this  time  he  introduced  me  to  some  other  of 


MANDALAY 


49 


the  Government  officials,  with  all  of  whom  he  seemed 
to  be  on  most  excellent  terms.  The  conversation  with 
all  of  them  was  similar  to  that  held  with  the  Foreign 
Minister,  except  one  with  the  Yaw-Ahtween-  Woon,  or 
Minister  of  the  Interior,  who  was  singularly  and  not 
altogether  politely  curious,  asking  such  embarrassing 
questions  as  how  much  money  I expended  in  travelling, 
what  business  my  father  did,  what  I was  travelling  for, 
and  why  I did  not  settle  down  somewhere.  His  Ex- 
cellency imagined  I must  be  travelling  for  political 
purposes,  and  could  not  comprehend  any  other  motive 
for  visiting  foreign  countries.  He  was  a middle-aged 
man,  a thorough  politician  of  the  unscrupulous  sort, 
and  I doubt  not  exceedingly  cunning ; but  yet  it 
appears  he  had  quite  recently  been  forbidden  by  the 
King  to  transact  any  further  business  with  Europeans, 
owing  to  some  discrepancies  in  the  official  returns,  and 
his  duties  and  powers  had  been  transferred  for  the 
time  to  one  of  the  royal  secretaries.  Near  the  office 
of  the  Minister  of  the  Interior  I saw  a half-dozen  men 
who  were  shackled  with  their  hands  behind  them,  and 
exposed,  bare-headed,  to  the  noon-day  rays  of  the  sun  : 
they  were  prisoners  for  debt,  and  would  be  held  in 
‘ durance  vile  ’ until  some  friend  advanced  sufficient 

funds  to  satisfy  the  just  claims  of  their  creditors. 

6 


50 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


At  the  Yaw-Alitween-Wooris  office  I met  a very 
intelligent  young  Burman,  who  had  studied  in  Paris, 
spoke  French  fluently  and  English  fairly  ; his  Burmese 
title  being  Pangyet  Woon,  or  ‘ Governor  of  the  Glass 
Manufactories’ — a rather  irrelevant  appellation,  for  there 
are  no  such  manufactories  in  Ava.  I conversed  with 
him  nearly  an  hour,  and  obtained  much  valuable  infor- 
mation concerning  his  country  and  countrymen  and 
women.  In  a small  pamphlet  published  in  Rangoon 
(November  1870)  I found  the  following  account  of 
this  talented  native  gentleman,  which  presents  a 
notable,  though  not  unique,  example  of  the  capabilities 
and  intelligence  of  the  higher  class  of  Burmese  youth — 
the  nobles : ‘ At  eighteen  years  of  age  he  was  sent  by 
the  late  Crown  Prince  to  Calcutta,  to  be  educated  in 
English  at  Doveton  College.  After  four  years’  resi- 
dence at  Calcutta  this  young  Burmese  gentleman 
returned  to  Mandalay,  and  during  the  voyage  he  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Count  de  Lacy,  who  was  a pas- 
senger on  board  the  steamer,  and  could  speak  English. 
After  staying  a few  months  at  Mandalay  the  King  was 
induced  by  his  French  proclivities  to  send  the  young 
Burman  to  Paris,  in  charge  of  the  Count,  to  study 
French.  After  acquiring  the  language  he  studied 
sciences  for  five  years  at  the  institution  known  as  the 


MANDALAY 


51 


Pantheon,  and  here  he  took  the  degrees  of  both 
Bachelor  and  Master  of  Arts.  Finally  he  studied 
for  three  years  at  the  Central  Imperial  School  of  Arts 
and  Manufactures,  and  obtained  a diploma.  His 
career  in  Europe  was  brought  to  a close  by  the  re- 
bellion in  1866,  in  which  the  Crown  Prince  was  slain, 
and  early  in  1867  he  was  recalled  to  Mandalay  by  the 
King.’  In  addition  to  his  duties  as  one  of  the  royal 
secretaries,  he  had  been  appointed  to  sit  with  the 
Political  Agent  (English)  as  judge  of  the  mixed  court 
at  Mandalay.  Well,  indeed,  would  it  be  for  King 
Mounglon  were  there  more  such  as  he  at  the  Court  of 
Aval 

In  one  of  the  offices,  a minor  court,  there  seemed  tc 
be  a great  deal  of  business  transacted,  for  there  were 
as  many  as  thirty  or  forty  people  waiting  all  the 
time ; each  seemed  to  speedily  finish  his  errand,  what- 
ever it  might  have  been,  but  more  coming  in  kept  the 
room  continually  full.  In  asking  favours  of  an  official 
the  natives  prostrate  themselves  upon  their  stomachs, 
clasp  the  hands  as  if  in  the  act  of  worship,  and  scarcely 
dare  to  raise  their  eyes  from  the  floor.  The  Govern- 
ment clerks  ‘ keep  ’ their  accounts,  as  is  usual  through- 
out Burma,  upon  long  strips  of  a prepared  black  paper, 
which  is  very  rough ; it  is  written  upon  with  slate 


52 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


pencils  or  sticks  of  French  chalk  the  size  of  one’s 
finger.  After  remaining  in  the  Court-room  about 
twenty  minutes  an  officer  came  with  a message  that 
the  King  was  ready  to  give  ‘ audience,’  and  so,  pre- 
ceded by  two  of  the  grand  ministers,  we  approached 
the  Mhan-gan  — the  Crystal  Palace — passing  through 
still  another  gate  in  a low  brick  wall.  A huge 
elephant  looked  calmly  at  us  from  a red  shed  near  the 
road,  but  we  did  not  stop  ; and  soon  after,  leaving  our 
shoes  at  the  foot,  mounted  a long  flight  of  stone  stairs 
and  entered  another  office,  where  our  arrival  was 
announced  to  His  Majesty.  While  awaiting  an  answer 
I strolled  into  the  4 Hall  of  Audience  ’ to  see  the 
throne.  It  is  a flat,  raised  dais , perhaps  eight  feet 
square,  richly  gilded,  and  on  either  side  are  the  white 
and  gold  silk  umbrellas,  symbols  of  royalty  (it  is  said 
that  umbrellas  were  a sign  of  rank  in  ancient  Nineveh, 
and  they  are  so  esteemed  by  most  Asiatic  nations  at 
the  present  day).  The  hall  is  gaily  painted,  and  the 
ceiling  is  supported  by  enormous  round  teak  pillars. 
Banquets,  at  which  the  table  service  is  of  pure  gold 
and  silver,  are  sometimes  served  here.  In  the  rear  of 
this  building,  and  connected  with  it,  are  the  minor 
audience  chambers,  one  or  the  other  being  used  at  the 
humour  of  the  King,  and  each  being  named  from  their 


MANDALAY 


53 


peculiar  style  of  decoration  ; thus  there  is  the  ‘ Golden 
Palace,’  which  is  entirely  covered  with  gold  (?),  and  the 
Mhan-gan,  or  ‘ Crystal  Palace  ’ (already  mentioned), 
and  so  called  because  it  is  adorned  with  trimmings  in 
isinglass,  porcelain,  and  glass — small  mirrors 


54 


THE  LAKE  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTEE  VI. 

AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  AVA 

After  waiting  five  or  ten  minutes  we  were  summoned 
to  a small  pillared  portico,  open  on  two  sides.  At  our 
backs  there  was  a golden  door  leading  to  another 
chamber,  and  before  us  was  a large  green  baize  curtain, 
extending  from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor  of  another  room 
which  was  some  few  feet  above  us.  In  the  centre  of 
this  screen  was  an  opening  about  ten  feet  square ; 
here  a red  velvet  cushion  and  a pair  of  silver-mounted 
binoculars  were  laid  upon  the  floor,  where  there  was 
an  elegantly  carpeted  staircase  connecting  the  two 
chambers.  The  roof  was  supported  by  immense 
pillars,  grouped  around  the  bases  of  two  of  which  were 
the  royal  umbrellas  and  other  insignia.  No  one  save 
the  King  is  allowed  to  possess  a white  umbrella,  and 
princes  of  the  blood  are  allowed  to  have  two  umbrellas 
(gilt,  with  poles  ten  or  fifteen  feet  in  length  attached) 
carried  above  them  by  their  servants  when  they  walk 
or  ride  in  public — ministers  but  one.  There  were 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  AVA 


55 


about  half  a dozen  princes  in  the  ‘ Audience  Chamber,’ 
among  them  the  heir-apparent,  an  intelligent  as  well 
as  handsome  young  man,  plainly  dressed,  excepting  a 
pair  of  immense  cluster  diamond  ear-rings.  Our  party 
— for  there  were  several  others  whom  we  found  wait- 
ing— was  disposed  in  the  following  order  : The  princes 
sat  upon  the  right,  then  came  the  Yaw- Aht ween-  Woon, 
then  another  minister,  then  myself,  next  Mr.  Seng-Ko, 
then  two  ex-ministers  of  the  former  King  ; adjoining 
them  were  two  Portuguese  Eoman  Catholic  missionaries, 
and  then  two  commercial  gentlemen  upon  the  extreme 
left ; besides  these,  in  the  rear,  were  some  dozen  or 
more  clerks,  who  were  paying  their  respects  to  His 
Majesty  upon  the  receipt  of  new  appointments,  each 
offering  a large  basket  of  fruit  in  support  of  his  loyal 
feelings.  Our  presents  were  displayed  before  us,  placed 
on  little  wooden  stands  about  a foot  in  height. 
The  natives  were  all  prostrating  themselves  flat  upon 
their  stomachs,  with  their  noses  nearly  touching  the 
carpets  and  their  eyes  cast  down  in  a most  abject  and 
servile  manner. 

In  a few  moments  we  heard  two  or  three  muffled 
booms — taps  on  a large  tom-tom  probably — and  then 
all  of  us  becoming  at  once  silent,  the  King  appeared, 
and  quietly  and  slowly  laid  himself  down,  reclining 


56 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


against  the  velvet  cushion  and  only  partially  facing 
the  audience.  At  the  same  time  one  of  the  queens 
entered  and  placed  a golden  spittoon,  betel-box,  cJiatty 
(with  water),  and  cup  on  the  floor  before  him.  The 
King  is  a .short,  stout,  pleasant,  though,  like  many  of 
his  ministers,  an  exceeding  crafty-looking  gentleman, 
fifty-four  years  of  age.  His  hair  was  thin  and  was 
tied  in  the  usual  Burmese  knot ; the  head  was  high  at 
the  crown,  showing  ‘ self-esteem,’  large,  and  the  eyes 
were  closely  set,  indicating  cunning  (if  we  are  to  believe 
phrenology  and  physiognomy) ; the  neck  was  thick, 
expressive  of  vitality  and  physical  power,  and  the  face 
close  shaven,  excepting  a thin  black  moustache.  His 
dress  was  very  plain  and  simple,  consisting  merely  of 
a Avhite  engie,  a white  linen  jacket,  and  a silky?wfeo,  a 
cloth  worn  around  the  hips  and  thighs  ; there  were  no 
ornaments  in  the  ears,  though  their  lobes  contained 
holes  nearly  an  inch  in  diameter,  which  did  not  improve 
the  expression  of  his  countenance  very  materially.  His 
Majesty  first  took  up  his  opera  glass,  though  we  were 
not  more  than  twenty  feet  distant,  and  surveyed  us  in  a 
very  grave  and  leisurely  manner,  ending  with  a flourish 
of  the  glass,  as  if  to  say,  ‘ How,  then,  for  business.’ 
The  royal  secretary  read  aloud  our  names,  business, 
and  the  list  of  the  presents  which  were  placed  before 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  AVA 


57 


us ; this  was  done  in  a loud,  drawling  style,  and  con- 
cluded with  a sort  of  supplicating  moan. 

His  Majesty  then  began  the  conversation  through 
the  Minister  and  my  Chinese  friend  as  interpreters. 
After  the  usual  questions  concerning  my  age,  business, 
residence,  and  travels,  the  King  said  he  wished  me  to 
convey  to  my  Government  the  sentiment  that  ‘ he 
had  a great  partiality  for  Americans,  and  wished  them 
to  come  over  and  colonise  in  his  dominions.’  But  a 
word  preliminary  : it  seems  that  I had  the  honour  to 
be  the  first  American  presented  at  the  Court  of  Ava 
(excepting  a mechanical  engineer,  who  was  in  His 
Majesty’s  employ  ten  or  twelve  years  ago),  and  that 
the  King  in  his  astuteness  graciously  thought  me  a 
spy , or  at  least  that  I was  visiting  Burma  for  political 
purposes,  and  consequently  had  some  influence  with, 
as  well  as  instructions  from  the  Government  at  home. 
It  was  in  vain  that  I protested  being  a simple  traveller, 
visiting  different  countries  for  the  purpose  of  studying 
their  geography,  climate,  productions ; the  people — 
their  manners  and  customs,  government,  religion,  laws, 
language,  literature,  industries,  ard  commerce — and  all 
for  the  improvement  of  mind  and  health  of  body,  and 
that  I had  travelled  about  twelve  thousand  miles  more 
especially  to  pay  my  respects  to  the  King  of  Ava,  and 


58 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


to  see  the  wonderful  white  elephant,  about  which  I 
had  heard  and  read  so  much  in  my  own  country  ; but 
to  no  purpose,  for  it  was  quite  evident  His  Majesty 
thought  politics  were  surely  my  main  object  and  end. 
Promising  to  make  his  wishes  known  to  the  proper 
authorities  at  home  did  not  seem  to  be  alone  sufficient 
for  his  purposes,  for  be  said  he  would  keep  me  in 
Mandalay  while  I wrote,  and  until  an  answer  came 
from  America.  At  this  I demurred  of  course,  when 
His  Majesty  said  if  I would  remain  he  would  give  me 
a house,  living,  and  as  many  Burmese  wives  as  1 
wished  (a  rather  tempting  offer,  for  the  women  of  the 
upper  classes  are  both  pretty  and  modest),  and, 
furthermore,  he  would  make  my  fortune.’  I was 
fast  becoming  very  much  interested,  and  slightly  ex- 
cited as  well.  His  Majesty  wished  to  make  also  a 
commercial  treaty  with  America,  and  my  services 
would  be  indispensable.  Thus  were  alluring  nets 
spread  for  my  feet  and  enticing  temptations  presented 
to  me.  Still  I was  not  then  prepared  to  enter  the 
King’s  service ; the  idea  was  too  new  and  novel,  the 
change — from  republican  America  and  steam  ploughs 
to  monarchical  Burma  and  white  elephants — too  great. 
‘ I must  have  time  to  consider  His  Majesty’s  gracious 
offers,’  said  I to  the  interpreter.  ‘ You  will  never 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  AVA 


59 


have  a better  chance,’  was  returned  from  the  King. 
Seeing  me  still  reluctant,  the  King  condescendingly 
offered  to  4 make  me  a great  man  ’ — to  give  me  high 
rank  among  his  own  nobles  and  princes.  To  this 
I answered  my  duty  was  first  to  my  parents,  and  next 
to  my  own  country,  and  that  I would  return  to  the 
latter  and  consult  with  the  former,  and  then,  if  they 
were  ivilling,  I would  be  most  happy  to  accept  his 
magnificent  and  unusually  gracious  terms.  He  replied, 
4 It  might  then  be  too  late ; ’ and  there  the  matter, 
dropped,  and  the  conversation  was  changed  to  other 
topics,  though  the  King  was  evidently  not  a little  vexed 
at  my  obstinacy,  and  doubtless  thought  me  mad  or 
certainly  very  foolish  not  to  accept  such  generous  pro- 
posals. One  of  the  missionaries  then  presented  some 
petitions,  which  were  referred  to  the  proper  minister ; 
some  State  business  was  transacted ; a present  of 
Ks.  100  was  brought  me  (4  to  use  for  my  travelling 
expenses  or  to  purchase  a memento  of  my  presentation 
at  the  Court  of  “His  Golden-Footed  Majesty”’),  and 
then  the  audience  was  terminated  by  the  King  suddenly 
rising  and  abruptly  retiring  from  the  room. 

One  of  his  queens  or  concubines  (he  has  four  of  the 
former  and  about  a hundred  of  the  latter)  who,  though 
out  of  sight,  had  been  fanning  the  King  with  a gorgeous 


60  THE  LAND  OF  TILE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

fan  of  peacock’s  feathers  during  the  audience,  now  took 
a peep  at  us,  of  course  exhibiting  herself  at  the  same 
time,  and  such  a beautiful  creature  I have  rarely  looked 
upon  before  and  perchance  never  shall  see  again.  She 
was  one  of  the  veritable  ‘ houris  of  Paradise,’  an  oriental 
pearl  of  indescribable  loveliness  and  symmetry.  I will 
not  attempt  a description ; but  the  King’s  liberal  offers 
came  at  once  to  mind,  and  I felt  what  a great  sacrifice 
it  would  be  to  return  to  my  native  land,  and  refuse — 
nay,  almost  spurn — rank,  wealth,  and  beauty  under  the 
peacock  banner  and  golden  umbrella  of  His  Majesty  of 
Ava. 

The  ‘ audience  ’ lasted  over  an  hour.  The  King- 
seemed  to  have  very  respectable  ideas  of  America  and  a 
high  appreciation  of  the  (usually  conceded)  enterprise 
and  industry  of  her  people  ; perhaps  he  wished  Ameri- 
cans to  settle  in  Burma  as  a sort  of  political  offset  to  the 
English,  whose  power — now  owning  two-thirds  of 
ancient  Burma — is  naturally  very  great,  but  I think  his 
main  idea  was  simply  to  obtain  from  the  United  States 
a commercial  treaty  advantageous  to  himself.  His 
Majesty’s  use  of  the  binoculars,  which  he  invariably 
employs  in  all  audiences,  is  not  altogether  pleasant ; 
but  the  manner  in  which  he  would  scan  our  coun- 
tenances while  replying  to  some  of  his  commanding 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  AVA 


61 


speeches  was  most  amusing.  His  voice  is  soft  and  low, 
and  he  speaks  in  a very  deliberate  manner,  taking- 
ample  time  to  arrange  his  thoughts  before  giving  them 
utterance. 

The  present  King  is  a son  of  the  famous  Tharawaddi ; 
his  brother — the  eldest  legitimate  son — assumed  the 
government  in  1845,  but,  proving  a tyrant,  was  de- 
posed and  succeeded  by  King  Mounglon  in  1853.  In 
1857  he  removed  the  capital  from  Amarapoora  to 
Mandalay.  The  King,  little  thinking  that  he  would 
ever  attain  the  crown,  had  in  early  youth  taken  the 
vows  of  a pongyee , or  Budhist  priest,  and  lived  se- 
cluded in  a monastery  until  his  accession.  Like  his  pre- 
decessors his  reign  has  not  been  without  its  troubles. 
In  1866  a rebellion  broke  out  headed  by  two  of  the 
King’s  sons,  the  Mengon  and  Mengondyne  princes, 
having  for  its  object  the  dethronement  of  their  father. 
The  attempt  failed,  and  the  former  is  a refugee  in  the 
Shan  States,  while  the  latter  resides  under  British  pro- 
tection in  Bengal.  As  regards  the  events  of  the  King's 
rule  much  might  be  said  of  blame  and  something  also 
of  praise.  The  Government  is  a despotism ; among 
many  others  we  notice  the  royal  title  of  ‘ Lord  of  the 
Power  of  Life  and  Death.’  The  Holt-daw  (Council  of 
State),  composed  of  the  four  principal  ministers  of 


62 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


State,  are  the  executive  officers  of  the  Government ; 
they  also  try  all  appeal  cases,  forming  a high  court  for 
that  purpose,  and  receiving  ten  per  cent,  of  the  property 
in  suit,  are  said  to  derive  very  handsome  incomes  from 
this  source  alone.  The  tyranny  and  weight  of  the 
King’s  rule  is  most  felt  at,  or  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of,  the  capital,  the  remote  districts  being  almost  inde- 
pendent, and  paying  but  little  more  heed  to  the  ruling 
monarch  than  to  swear  allegiance  whenever  visited  by 
his  officers.  And  so  limited  in  extent  of  territory  is 
the  real  power  of  the  King  that  the  people  dwelling 
upon  the  borders  of  Yunan  are  said  to  acknowledge  the 
sovereignty  of  the  local  rulers  of  the  Emperor  of  China 
as  well  as  those  of  the  King  of  Ava,  and  so  enjoy 


a royal  monopoly  of  the  paddy  (rice)  and  cotton  and 
other  leading  products — marble,  amber,  gold,  copper, 
coal,  and  gems  above  a certain  size  (all  over  Ks.  100 
in  value).  The  King  dare  not  leave  his  palace  for  fear 
of  foul  play,  and  he  has  consequently  never  seen  his 
own  war  canoes  or  steamers,  nor  has  he  ever  visited 
his  new  palace  built  near  the  river. 

The  Government  is  ‘ rotten  to  the  very  core ; ’ 
bribery  and  corruption  reign  paramount.  The  King 
appropriates  most  of  the  revenue  ; many  of  his 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  AVA 


63 


ministers  receive  no  salary  at  all ; and  the  King  buys 
goods  of  merchants  and  serves  them  out  as  pay  to 
his  troops  and  followers,  who  afterwards  have  to  sell 
them  in  the  bazaars  at  half-price  ; besides,  the  country 
bitterly  suffers  ‘ from  the  extortionate  duties,  from  the 
grinding  taxation,  and  from  the  cruelties  and  oppres- 
sions that  daily  transpire  (boys  of  tender  years  and 
infirm  old  men  being  flogged  to  death  in  the  streets, 
or  publicly  crucified  with  a barbarity  that  beggars 
description),  and  from  the  guild  of  brokers,  who 
rule  the  markets  according  to  the  orders  of  the  King 
or  his  ministers,  so  that  no  one  can  buy  or  sell  save 
through  these  brokers.’  And  yet  the  King  has  shown 
some  appreciation  of  the  advantages  of  western 
civilisation.  He  offers  good  inducements  to  European 
mechanics  and  engineers  to  establish  themselves  in 
Mandalay.  His  Majesty  has  succeeded  in  bringing 
his  country  into  telegraphic  communication  with  India 
and  Europe.  The  introduction  of  the  electric  tele- 
graph into  Burma  is  thus  curiously  described  by  my 
friend  the  Yaw-Ahtween-  Woon  (Minister  of  the  In- 
terior) : 4 The  present  founder  of  the  city  of  Mandalay 
or  Kutuapon,  Builder  of  the  Koyal  Palace,  Euler  of 
the  Sea  and  Land,  Lord  of  the  Celestial  Elephant 
and  Master  of  many  White  Elephants,  Owner  of  the 


64 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


Shekyah  or  Indra’s  Weapon,  Lord  of  the  Power  of 
Life  and  Death,  and  Great  Chief  of  Righteousness, 
being  exceedingly  anxious  for  the  welfare  of  his 
people,  in  the  year  1231  introduced  the  telegraph, 
a science  the  elements  of  which  may  be  compared  to 
thunder  and  lightning  for  rapidity  and  brilliancy, 
and  such  as  his  royal  ancestors  in  successive  genera- 
tions had  never  attempted.’  Orientals  are  profuse  in 
high-sounding  and  adulatory  diction  ; the  foregoing- 
article  does  not  contain  the  half  of  the  titles  per- 
taining to  King  Mounglon. 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


65 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

Having  put  on  our  shoes  at  the  bottom  of  the  palace 
staircase,  we  went  to  see  the  so-called  white  elephant. 
One  of  the  proudest  titles  of  the  King  of  Ava  is 
‘ Lord  of  the  White  Elephant,’  though  the  King  of 
Siam  at  Bangkok  is  also  the  possessor  of  one  or  more 
of  these  sacred  beasts.  The  Mandalay  animal  I 
found  to  be  a male  of  medium  size,  with  white  eyes 
and  a forehead  and  ears  spotted  white,  appearing  as 
if  they  had  been  rubbed  with  pumice-stone  or  sand- 
paper, but  the  remainder  of  the  body  was  as  ‘ black  as 
coal.’  He  was  a vicious  brute,  chained  by  the  fore- 
legs in  the  centre  of  a large  shed,  and  was  surrounded 
with  the  ‘ adjuncts  of  royalty  ’ — gold  and  white  cloth 
umbrellas,  an  embroidered  canopy  above,  and  some 
bundles  of  spears  in  the  corners  of  the  room.  The 
attendants  told  me  that  a young  one,  captured  in  the 
north-eastern  part  of  British  Burma,  near  Tounghoo, 
had  recently  died,  after  a short  residence  in  the 


66 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


capital,  and  that  the  king  had  been  ‘ out  of  sorts  ’ 
ever  since.  This  animal  was  suckled  by  twelve 
women,  hired  for  the  express  purpose ; these  elephant 
‘ wet-nurses  ’ receiving  Es.  50  per  mensem,  and 
thinking  it  a great  honour  to  serve  in  such  capacity. 

The  white  elephant,  well  named  the  Apis  of  the 
Budhists,  has  long  been  an  appendage  to  Burman 
state.  Mr.  Ralph  Fitch,  who  travelled  through  Burma 
about  the  year  1582,  speaking  of  the  king  who 
reigned  at  that  time,  says,  in  his  quaint,  black-letter 
folio,  that  “ among  the  rest  he  hath  foure  white 
elephants,  which  are  very  strange  and  rare,  for  there 
is  none  other  king  that  hath  them  but  he  ; if  any 
other  king  hath  one,  hee  will  send  vnto  him  for  it. 
When  any  of  these  white  elephants  is  brought  vnto 
the  king,  all  the  merchants  in  the  city  are  com- 
manded to  see  them  and  to  giue  him  a present  of 
halfe  a ducat,  which  doth  come  to  a great  summe, 
for  that  there  are  many  merchants  in  the  city.  After 
that  you  have  given  your  present,  you  may  come  and 
see  them  at  your  pleasure,  although  they  stand  in  the 
king’s  house.  The  king,  in  his  title,  is  called  the 
king  of  the  white  elephants.  If  any  other  king 
haue  one,  and  will  not  send  it  him,  he  will  make 
warre  with  him  for  it,  for  he  had  rather  lose  a great 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


67 


part  of  his  kingdome  than  not  to  conquere  him. 
They  do  very  great  seruice  vnto  these  white  elephants  ; 
euery  one  of  them  standeth  in  a house  gilded  with 
golde,  and  they  doe  feede  in  vessels  of  siluer  and  gilt. 
One  of  them,  when  he  doth  go  to  the  riuer  to  be 
washed,  as  euery  day  they  do,  goeth  under  a canopy 
of  clothe,  of  golde  or  of  silke,  carried  ouer  him  by 
sixe  or  eight  men,  and  eight  or  ten  men  goe  before 
him,  playing  on  drummes,  shawmes  (clarionets),  or 
other  instruments ; and  when  he  is  washed,  and 
eometh  out  of  the  riuer,  there  is  a gentleman  which 
doth  wash  his  feet  in  a siluer  basin,  which  is  his 
office  giuen  him  by  the  king.  There  is  no  account 
made  of  any  blacke  elephant,  be  he  neuer  so  great. 
And  surely  there  be  woonderful  faire  and  great,  and 
some  be  nine  cubites  in  height.”  Again,  in  Father 
Sangermano’s  ‘Description  of  the  Burmese  Empire,’ 
some  two  hundred  years  later,  we  have  interesting 
accounts  of  the  capture,  transportation  (to  the  capital), 
and  more  than  royal  treatment  of  the  white  elephant : 
how,  when  caught  in  the  forests  of  Pegu,  it  was  bound 
with  scarlet  cords  and  waited  upon  by  the  highest 
mandarins  of  the  empire  ; how  the  place  where  it 
was  taken  being  infested  with  mosquitoes,  a silken  net 
was  made  to  protect  it  from  them ; how  it  was 


68 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


transported  to  Amarapoora  in  a boat  having  a pavilion 
draped  with  gold-embroidered  silk,  and  covered  with 
a roof  similar  to  those  covering  the  royal  palaces  ; 
how,  on  its  arrival  in  the  city,  a grand  festival, 
continuing  for  three  days,  was  celebrated  in  its 
honour ; and  how  the  most  costly  presents  were 
brought  to  it  by  the  mandarins,  one  offering  a vase 
of  gold  weighing  480  ounces.  This  animal  was 
honoured  no  less  at  its  demise  than  during  life. 
Being  a female,  its  funeral  was  conducted  with  the 
same  forms  and  rites  as  those  practised  at  the  death 
of  a queen.  The  body  was  burned  upon  a pile  of 
sassafras,  sandal,  and  other  aromatic  woods,  the  pyre 
being  fired  with  the  aid  of  four  immense  gilt  bellows 
placed  at  its  corners.  Three  days  afterwards  its  ashes 
were  gathered  by  the  chief  mandarins,  enshrined  in 
gilt  urns,  and  buried  in  the  royal  cemetery.  A 
superb  mausoleum,  of  a pyramidal  shape,  built  of 
brick,  richly  painted  and  gilt,  was  subsequently  raised 
over  the  tomb.  If  this  elephant  had  been  a male, 
it  would  have  been  interred  with  the  same  ceremonial 
as  that  used  for  the  sovereign.  And  even  at  this 
day  the  ‘ celestial  ’ white  elephants  are  still  the 
objects  of  great  veneration,  royal  favour,  and  attention; 
aside  from  their  divine  character  of  (being)  trans- 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


69 


migrating  Budhas,  their  possession,  according  to 
Burmese  superstition,  is  considered  to  bring  prosperity 
to  the  country  in  peace  and  good  fortune  in  war,  and 
therefore  their  death  is  regarded  as  nothing  less  than 
a national  calamity.  At  such  times  the  entire  nation 
shave  their  heads,  and  perform  such  deeds  of  sorrow 
and  mourning  as  are  customary  on  the  loss  of  the 
nearest  and  dearest  of  their  relatives. 

In  one  shed  were  some  large  gilded  war-boats,  and 
in  another  were  the  royal  palanquins  and  carriages,  all 
richly  gilded,  the  former  of  fantastic  and  whimsical 
model,  and  the  latter  of  English  design,  if  not  manu- 
facture. The  ‘ Royal  Gardens  ’ we  did  not  visit.  They 
are  said  to  be  laid  out  in  squares,  crossed  in  different 
places  by  canals  of  brickwork,  in  which  the  water  is 
seven  fathoms  in  depth.  The  pathways  run  in  every 
direction,  and  grottoes  are  thickly  interspersed  among 
them.  We  inspected  the  artillery  sheds,  and  observed 
that  most  of  the  cannon  were  of  small  calibre  and 
antique  manufacture ; some  of  them  were  as  much  as 
twenty  feet  in  length  and  scarcely  more  than  four  inches 
bore  from  muzzle  to  vent ; they  had  been  captured 
from  the  Siamese.  We  next  visited  the  ‘ Royal 
Herald’s’  office,  and  obtained  a permit  to  take  the 
present  with  which  His  Majesty  had  honoured  me 


70 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


through  the  palace  gates.  This  ‘ pass  ’ was  simply  a 
piece  of  prepared  palm-leaf  about  hve  inches  in  length 
and  a little  more  than  one  in  width  ; the  order  was  an 
engraved  intaglio  (in  the  ordinary  Burmese  circular 
character),  and  on  one  corner  was  the  King’s  Treasury 
stamp  impressed  in  basso-relievo.  Strips  of  palm-leaf 
are  also  used  by  scholars.  They  usually  write  or 
engrave  with  a sharp  iron  instrument  (a  style)  upon 
pieces  about  two  feet  long  and  two  and  a half  inches 
broad,  and  with  a number  of  these  strips  and  two  thin 
boards  of  the  same  size  for  covers  they  form  their 
books. 

Having  gained  the  street  beyond  the  outermost  wall, 
we  remounted  our  ponies  and  rode  to  Hr.  Seng-Ko’s 
house.  My  host’s  pretty  little  Burmese  wife  then 
‘ served  up  ’ a very  palatable  tiffin  (lunch),  and  over 
our  cheroots  and  tea  we  discussed  the  events  of  the 
morning,  the  future  of  Burma,  the  present  state  of 
China,  and  the  rapid  rise  and  prospects  of  the  Chinese 
population  of  San  Francisco  and  California.  Speaking 
of  tea , this  valuable  commodity  is  raised,  in  small 
quantity,  upon  the  northern  hills,  those  bordering  upon 
the  province  of  Yunan,  in  China  ; but  the  Burmese 
devote  the  leaf  to  a far  different  purpose  from  that 
employed  by  the  surrounding  nations  and  by  our- 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


71 


selves.  Instead  of  steeping  the  leaves  and  drinking 
the  warm  and  refreshing  decoction  obtained  therefrom, 
they  make  a sort  of  salad  of  them,  together  with  garlic, 
adding  some  kind  of  oil  and  condiment. 

About  three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  my  obliging 
Chinese  friend  accompanied  me  on  a walk  through  the 
bazaars  and  market,  and  to  see  the  King’s  war  canoes. 
The  bazaars  were  similar  to  those  of  Rangoon  for  variety 
and  quality  of  goods,  containing  chiefly  Chinese  silks 
and  British  cloths,  Bengal  steel  goods,  checkered  ban- 
dannas, putsoes  (cloths  worn  round  the  hips),  earthen- 
ware, porcelain,  amber — sold  for  Rs.  2 per  pound 
in  the  capital — carved  marble  and  wooden  images 
of  Gaudama,  paper  umbrellas  and  copper  from 
China,  &c.  Here  I obtained  a complete  collection  of 
Burmese  coins — made  of  copper,  lead,  pewter,  silver, 
and  gold.  The  silver  coins  have  a copper  alloy  of 
about  fifteen  per  cent.  Interest  is  very  high — sixty 
per  cent,  per  annum  being  sometimes  charged. 
Much  of  the  trade  is  carried  on  by  means  of  barter, 
petroleum  being  the  chief  circulating  medium ; rice 
also  is  used  as  a money  exchange  in  some  parts  of 
the  country.  The  prices  demanded  seemed  moderate, 
though  a European  is  always,  and  perhaps  justly,  asked 
to  pay  more  than  a native.  We  saw  some  cotton 


72 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


goods  of  English  manufacture  and  importation,  which 
were  sold  cheaper  even  than  the  products  of  the 
domestic  looms.  The  market  was  very  large,  and  con- 
tained good  varieties  of  vegetables  and  fish,  but  no 
meats.  It  consisted  of  about  a hundred  little  bamboo 
sheds,  built  together,  and  the  different  articles  were 
arranged  in  sections.  It  was  a long  walk  to  the  war 
canoes,  and  made  under  a burning  sun — -therm.  112° 
(Fah.)in  the  shade — but  I felt  amply  repaid  on  behold- 
ing the  curious  navy  belonging  to  the  King.  These 
canoes  lie  in  a small  creek  which  runs  from  the  river 
up  to  the  city.  They  are  very  long,  with  both  prow 
and  stern  curling  up  high,  and  are  paddled  by  forty 
men  usually,  sometimes  sixty  ; most  of  the  boats  are 
handsomely  gilded  on  the  outside  and  painted  red 
within.  A very  fine  barge,  with  decks  and  apartments, 
Mr.  Seng-Ko  pointed  out  as  being  used  exclusively  by 
the  queens ; it  is  drawn  or  towed  by  war  boats.  The 
King’s  barge  is  the  grandest  of  them  all,  but  being  too 
distant  to  observe  minutely  its  construction,  I give 
another’s  description  : ‘This  splendid  vessel  has  been 
built  on  two  large  canoes,  and  is  covered  with  the 
richest  carving  and  gilding.  This  also,  when  used,  will 
be  drawn  by  war  boats.  In  the  centre  is  a lofty  tower 
with  eight  or  nine  square  storeys  or  terraces  of  black 


THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


73 


and  gold,  surmounted  by  the  tee,  or  umbrella.  The 
prows  of  the  two  canoes  on  which  this  water  palace  is 
constructed  consist  each  of  an  immense  silver  dragon  ; 
and  behind  each  dragon  is  the  fierce  colossal  figure  of  a 
warrior  deity  called  by  the  Burmese  a Nat,  but  which 
is  evidently  identical  with  one  of  the  Devatas  of  Hindoo 
mythology,  of  whom  India  is  the  special  type.  The 
stems  of  the  canoes  are  beautifully  adorned  with  a 
fretted  work  consisting  of  small  pieces  of  looking-glass, 
which  has  a very  rich  appearance.’  We  returned  to 
the  house  through  the  suburbs,  and  after  a rest  of  half 
an  hour  I reluctantly  took  leave  of  the  kind  China- 
man, who  had  devoted  so  much  time  to  my  service, 
entertaining  me  most  hospitably  at  his  own  house, 
and  rode  back  to  the  steamer,  feeling  rather  exhausted, 
but  much  gratified  at  the  novel  and  wonderful  expe- 
riences of  the  dav. 


71 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BHAMO  AND  THE  OLD  TRADE  ROUTE 

At  daylight  the  next  morning  we  started  to  remeasure 
the  seven  hundred  miles  of  water  communication  be- 
tween Mandalay  and  Rangoon.  The  river  Irrawaddy 
is  navigable  as  far  as  Bhamo,  three  hundred  miles  above 
the  capital,  and  a steamer  runs  there  once  a month. 
On  an  island  somewhere  in  this  part  of  the  river  there 
is  a Budhist  monastery  where  are  some  large  tame  fish 
— fed  regularly  by  the  monks — which  will  come  to 
the  surface  of  the  water  at  the  simple  cry  of  ‘ Tit-tit-tit.’ 
They  are  said  to  be  a large  species  of  dog-fish,  without 
scales,  from  three  to  five  feet  in  length,  and  appear  to 
consist  chiefly  of  head  and  mouth.  They  are  exceed- 
ingly voracious,  and  beg  by  the  simple  process  of 
opening  their  huge  jaws.  These  strange  fish  are  so 
thoroughly  domesticated  as  to  freely  permit  anyone  to 
stroke  them  on  the  back. 

The  scenery  from  Mandalay  to  Bhamo  is  said  to  be 
very  fine,  the  river  passing  through  narrow  mountain 


BHAMO  AND  THE  OLD  TRADE  ROUTE 


75 


gorges,  fertile  lands,  and  by  picturesque  villages,  pago- 
das, and  temples.  Not  far  below  Bhamo  there  is  an 
especially  striking  and  beautiful  gorge  or  defile  about 
fifteen  miles  in  length.  The  river  is  there  quite  narrow, 
while  the  banks  on  either  side  rise  to  a height  of  five 
or  six  hundred  feet,  and  are  covered  with  grand  old 
forests,  which  cast  their  dark  shadows  upon  the  smooth 
water.  A huge  rock — called  ‘ Monkey  Castle,’  from 
the  number  of  monkeys  that  hang  about  it — rising 
perpendicularly  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  surface 
of  the  river,  is  a noticeable  feature  of  this  wonderful 
defile.  As  the  steamer  slowly  tugs  along  there  is 
constant  change  in  the  view.  Sometimes  the  river 
takes  a winding  course  between  the  high  and  precipitous 
banks,  with  their  dense  green  forests.  At  other  places 
one  comes  upon  a long  vista  of  wood  and  stream. 
Here  and  there  is  a pagoda,  or  a village,  or  a few 
fishermen  in  a boat.  The  scene  is  not  so  much  calcu- 
lated to  please  and  astonish  the  eye  by  wild  sublimity, 
by  rude  precipices,  as  by  graceful  hills,  glass-like  water, 
and  soft  shadows. 

This  part  of  Burma  is  much  the  richest  in  its  natural 
productions ; the  hills  contain  iron,  coal,  tin,  copper, 
lead,  gold,  and  silver — more  than  a million  and  a half 
dollars’  worth  of  these  two  latter  metals  has  been  dug 


76 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


from  the  mines  near  Yunan,  on  the  frontiers  of  China — 
sulphur,  nitre,  marble,  and  amber,  and  are  covered  (the 
hills)  with  valuable  teak  and  oak  timber ; the  topaz,  ruby, 
sapphire,  amethyst,  and  other  gems  are  found  in  the  beds 
of  rivulets  ; while  the  valleys  and  plains  offer,  with  mode- 
rate cultivation  (the  soil  being  remarkably  fertile), 
millet,  maize,  wheat,  cotton,  tobacco,  and  the  sugar- 
cane. The  produce  of  earth-oil  (petroleum)  in  wells, 
some  of  them  three  hundred  feet  in  depth,  along  the 
banks  of  the  Irrawaddy  is  very  great,  amounting  to 
more  than  eight  million  pounds  per  annum. 

The  old  trade  route  between  Burma  and  western 
China  lay  through  Bhamo,  but  for  the  past  twenty  years 
it  has  been  closed,  owing  to  a rebellion  in  the  province 
of  Yunan  (China).  It  appears  that  some  Mussulman 
Chinese,  called  Panthays,  suddenly  broke  out  in  rebel- 
lion, defeated  the  Chinese  authorities  and  troops  sent 
against  them,  and  established  themselves  in  a separate 
colony,  with  Tali-foo  for  their  capital  city  and  the 
residence  of  their  king,  who  is  styled  ‘ Suleiman  the 
First.’  But  although  the  Chinese  cannot  muster  in 
sufficient  force  to  put  down  these  rebels,  still  they  are 
continually  harassing  them,  carrying  on  a ‘ dacoity 
war ; ’ they  devastate  the  country,  keep  the  roads  closed, 
and  thus  destroy  commerce  ; and  not  until  the  Panthay 


BHAMO  AND  THE  OLD  TRADE  ROUTE 


77 


Government  is  acknowledged  as  actually  established  by 
the  Emperor  of  China,  and  order  and  law  are  restored, 
will  the  old  caravans  with  silks,  cotton  cloths,  tea, 
earthenware,  and  ornamental  articles  find  their  way 
again  down  to  Bhamo. 

Within  the  last  ten  years  various  parties  have  in- 
vestigated, and  some  have  surveyed,  different  trade 
routes  between  Burma  and  China  ; but  no  further 
action  has  as  yet  been  taken  by  the  Burman 
Government  than  to  subsidise  a monthly  line  of 
steamers  to  Bhamo,  from  which  place  to  the  Shan 
States  on  the  frontiers  of  China,  the  distance  is 
about  fifty  miles  ‘ as  the  crow  flies.’  One  of  the  in- 
tended lines  of  overland  communication  between 
Burma  and  China  is  deserving  of  passing  attention.  It 
has  been  proposed  to  build  a railway  from  Rangoon, 
four  hundred  miles,  to  a town  called  Kiang-hung  on  the 
great  Makong  river,  from  which  the  distance  is  only 
about  twenty  miles  to  the  borders  of  Yunan.  But  it 
seems  this  could  hardly  prove  a success;  for  were  the 
route  opened,  then  there  would  be  the  competition  of 
easier  and  of  course  cheaper  communication  by  water 
with  Saigon  and  the  French  settlements;  still  the  rail- 
way may  yet  be  built,  and  at  no  very  distant  day.  It 
is  quite  as  feasible  a project  as  many  others  of  like 


78  THE  land  of  the  white  elephant 

nature  which  have  been  undertaken  in  different  coun- 
tries of  Asia.  India,  among  many  other  lines,  has 
one  continuous  road  extending  from  Calcutta  to 
Peshawur,  on  the  confines  of  Afghanistan,  which  is 
more  than  sixteen  hundred  miles  in  length  ; and  already 
we  hear  of  railroads  in  the  islands  of  Java  and  Japan. 

Bhamo  itself  is  described  as  being  a very  ordinary- 
looking village,  containing  some  four  or  five  thousand 
inhabitants — Chinese,  Shans,  and  Burmese.  An  English 
assistant  political  agent  resides  there,  and  is,  I believe, 
the  only  European  in  the  town.  The  former  trade  of 
Bhamo — silks,  woollens,  and  cotton — was  carried  On 
principally  by  the  Chinese,  who  arrived  there  from 
Yunan  in  large  caravans  during  the  months  of  Decem- 
ber and  January.  “ Under  existing  circumstances 
Bhamo  has  been  dwindling  away.  History  has  repeated 
here  in  this  remote  quarter  precisely  what  has  befallen 
the  great  cities  of  the  ancient  world.  When  the 
Romans  obtained  possession  of  the  Mediterranean  trade. 
Tyre  and  Sidon  passed  into  nothingness;  when  the 
land  route  through  the  Arabian  desert  was  abandoned 
for  the  water  route  through  the  Red  Sea,  Petra  and 
Edom  became  a howling  wilderness.  Whether  Bhamo 
is  to  become  a mere  fishing  village,  or  is  once  again  to 
become  an  emporium  of  trade,  depends  upon  whether 


BHAMO  AND  THE  OLD  TRADE  ROUTE 


79 


the  Panthays  and  Chinese  can  become  friendly  neigh- 
bours.” There  have  been  but  few  trips  made  by  the 
English  steamers,  and  no  goods,  excepting  some  cottons, 
have  as  yet  passed  either  way.  By  the  contract  the 
steamers  are  obliged  to  carry  down  to  Rangoon  fifty 
deck  passengers  (emigrants)  free  of  charge ; on  our 
passage  we  had  fifty-three  of  them.  They  were  all  Shans 
or  Laos,  and  were  much  fairer  in  complexion  and 
stouter  and  stronger  in  body  than  the  Burmese  ; more- 
over they  spoke  a different  language. 

The  Laos  race — estimated  at  1,500,000  in  number — 
inhabits  a great  part  of  the  interior  of  the  Hindoo- 
Chinese  peninsula,  and  is  divided  into  numerous  tribes, 
some  of  which  are  subject  to  the  Emperor  of  China, 
some  owe  a sort  of  dubious  allegiance  to  the  Kings  of 
Ava,  or  Siam,  or  Annam,  while  very  many  are  politi- 
cally independent,  being  only  under  the  government  of 
their  patriarchal  chiefs.  The  Laos  are  a quiet,  peaceable, 
and  indolent  people.  They  cultivate  the  soil,  confining 
their  attention  chiefly  to  rice,  though  tobacco  and  sugar- 
cane and  some  vegetables  are  also  grown  ; they  manu- 
facture beautifully  lacquered  wares,  gold  and  silver 
ornaments,  and  silk  for  home  consumption ; they  are 
also  expert  miners,  their  territory  abounding  in  gold, 
silver,  iron,  and  copper.  The  Laos  tributaries  of  the 


80 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


King  of  Ava  export  many  cattle  to  Mandalay — these 
are  small  but  useful,  being  strong  and  docile.  The  Ava 
Government  adopts  a rather  curious  though  quite  effec- 
tual (as  it  proves)  method  of  compelling  obedience 
from  their  Laos  dependants.  It  seems  that  the  latter 
are  indebted  to  the  former — their  rulers — for  so  great 
a necessity  of  diet  as  salt,  and  the  moment  one  of 
their  chiefs  proves  refractory  the  supply  is  withheld 
until  he  shall  implicitly  yield  what  is  enjoined. 

In  going  down  the  river  we  stopped  first  at  the 
town  of  Isagaing,  and  took  on  board  1,000  baskets 
of  grain  (coarse  peas,  usually  food  for  cattle),  1,000 
baskets  of  wheat,  and  200  hides.  An  amusing  fact 
is  connected  with  the  hide  trade.  The  Burmese  are 
strictly  forbidden  by  their  religion  to  kill  bullocks, 
cows,  or  calves ; and  yet,  the  captain  tells  me,  some- 
times as  many  as  5,000  hides  are  shipped  at  a time 
from  one  town.  Besides,  the  King  had  even  recently 
forbidden  the  European  residents  at  Mandalay  to 
slaughter  any  cattle  within  the  royal  dominions.  Late 
in  the  afternoon  we  stopped  at  a small  village  called 
Shoay-PouhBen,  and  remained  there  during  the 
night,  lading  2,500  baskets  of  grain,  and  on  the 
following  day  we  completed  our  cargo  by  receiving 
on  board,  at  one  village,  200  bales  of  loose  and  pressed 


BHAMO  AND  THE  OLD  TRADE  ROUTE 


81 


cotton  and  315  bags  of  cutch  (a  resinous  product 
from  which  a valuable  dye  is  manufactured),  and  at 
another  village  900  baskets  more  of  grain. 

The  steamer  remained  about  six  hours  at  Tkayet- 
myo,  and  I embraced  the  opportunity  to  visit  the 
English  cantonment,  stationed  on  the  very  frontier. 
It  is  nearly  a mile  from  the  native  village,  is  well  laid 
out,  with  good  roads,  and  the  barracks  are  built  of 
wood,  with  shingle  roofs,  and  are  raised  from  the 
ground  on  brick,  or  stone,  and  plaster  piles.  The  term 
of  service  for  troops  stationed  here  is  usually  four 
years.  There  is  a small  fort  at  Thayet-myo,  which 
would  be  much  strengthened  were  some  works  erected 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  to  forward  this 
project  General  Norman — the  military  member  of 
the  Viceroy’s  Council — had  been  recently  sent  from 
Calcutta.  The  General,  returning  home,  became  our 
fellow-passenger  as  far  as  Rangoon.  He  mentioned 
'meeting  the  Hon.  William  H.  Seward  on  the  occasion 
of  his  recent  visit  to  Calcutta  (when  making  the  tour 
of  the  world),  and  spoke  very  highly  of  the  superior 
abilities  and  cordial  affability  of  our  renowned  and 
venerated  patriot  and  statesman. 

On  several  evenings  during  the  downward  passage, 
our  steamer  was  struck  by  furious  squalls  of  wind,  the 


82 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


rain  falling  in  torrents,  but  unaccompanied  by  either 
thunder  or  lightning.  These  squalls  were  the  har- 
bingers of  the  change  of  monsoon — from  north-east  to 
south-west  in  May — and  after  this  change  the  rainy 
season  commences,  and  continues  for  four  or  five  months. 
It  had  been  my  intention  to  go  from  Rangoon  to 
Maulmain,  and  thence  to  travel  overland  to  Bangkok  in 
Siam.  The  latter  trip  is  neither  difficult  nor  long.  There 
is  a ‘ pass  ’ through  the  Shan  mountains  (none  of  the 
peaks  of  which  rise  above  8,200  feet  in  height),  and  ele- 
phants, ponies,  and  guides  are  easily  procured.  Leaving 
the  Shan  mountains  behind,  one  soon  arrives  at  the  Mek- 
long  river,  where  communication  is  easy  with  Bangkok 
by  boat,  down  the  stream,  and  then  fifty  miles  on  a canal ; 
or  one  might  travel  nearly  due  east  from  Maulmain 
until  the  great  Menam  was  reached,  and  then  sail 
down  this  rapid  stream,  by  the  ancient  capital  of 
Ayuthia , to  the  modern  capital,  with  its  thousands  of 
floating  houses  and  hundreds  of  graceful  pagodas.  But 
this  is  a trip  which,  though  easily  possible  from 
November  to  April,  still  would  be  almost  impossible 
during  the  remaining  months  of  the  year,  for  sometimes 
as  many  as  ten  and  even  twelve  inches  of  rain  fall 
during  one  day  in  that  part  of  Burma. 

We  stayed  four  hours  at  Prome — a town  which  re- 


BHAMO  AND  THE  OLD  TRADE  ROUTE 


83 


sembles  Mandalay  in  many  respects.  Prome  was  the 
seat  of  government  for  nearly  five  hundred  years,  but 
none  of  the  Burmese  kings  have  resided  there  since 
1,000  B.c. 

Nothing  more  of  interest  occurred  on  our  downward 
voyage.  We  reached  Rangoon  on  the  28th  inst.,  just 
three  weeks  from  the  date  of  my  departure  ‘ up  the 
Irrawaddy  ’ for  Mandalay. 


84 


THE  LAJND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

FROM  MAULMAIN  AND  PENANG 

Another  week,  passed  in  the  chief  city  of  British 
Burma,  was  made  very  pleasant  for  us  by  the  good 
offices  of  the  several  residents  we  had  first  met  as 
strangers,  but  whom  we  afterwards  came  to  recognise 
as  kind  friends,  and  then  we  took  passage  in  the  British 
India  Steam  Navigation  Co.’s  steamer  4 Mahratta,’  500 
tons  burden,  Captain  Lang  in  command,  for  Singapore, 
intending  to  stop  at  the  towns  of  Maulmain,  Penang, 
and  Malacca  on  the  passage.  We  were  but  twenty 
hours  in  descending  the  Eangoon  river,  crossing  the 
bight  of  the  Gulf  of  Martaban,  and  sighting  the  thickly- 
wooded  promontory  beyond  the  little  village  of  Amherst , 
which  latter  was  formerly  the  capital  of  the  Tenasserim 
provinces,  but  is  now  only  used  as  a pilot  station. 
Near  Amherst  may  be  seen  the  lonely  grave  of 
Mrs.  Judson,  the  devoted  missionary  and  wife,  shaded 
by  a single  beautiful  hopea  tree.  We  had  entered  the 
Salween  river — one  of  the  largest  in  that  remote  part 


FROM  MAULMAIN  AND  PENANG 


85 


of  the  world — and  a rapid  run  of  twenty-seven  miles 
brought  us  to  Maulmain , and  we  dropped  anchor 
abreast  of  the  business  quarter  of  the  town,  with  but  a 
half-dozen  small  vessels  in  sight.  The  town  does  not 
appear  to  advantage  from  the  river,  almost  hidden  as 
it  is  by  immense  groves  of  the  cocoa-nut  and  betel- 
nut  palm,  banana,  papaya,  bamboo,  and  other  tropical 
plants.  The  population,  comprising  Burmese,  Chinese, 
Parsees,  Armenians,  Klings,  Jews,  and  Cingalese,  is 
about  10,000  ; the  European  residents  may  number 
less  than  a hundred. 

There  are  many  large  timber-yards  at  Maulmain ; 
indeed,  it  has  always  been  famed  for  its  export  of  teak 
logs  which  are  cut  in  the  forests  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Salween,  and  then  floated,  sometimes  hundreds  of  miles, 
down  to  the  capital.  In  these  timber-yards  the 
usefulness,  power,  sagacity,  and  docility  of  the  elephant 
is  most  wonderfully  illustrated,  for  these  uncouth 
monsters  are  employed  in  drawing,  stacking,  and 
shifting  the  immense  teak  logs — some  of  them  weigh- 
ing as  much  as  two  tons.  A log  that  forty  coolies 
could  scarcely  move  the  elephant  will  quietly  lift  upon 
his  tusks,  and  holding  it  there  with  his  proboscis,  will 
carry  it  to  whatever  part  of  the  yard  he  may  be  directed 
by  his  driver.  They  will  also,  using  trunk,  feet,  and 


86 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


more  than  a hundred  simply  at  the  command  of  the 
driver.  The  huge  beasts  are  directed  by  the  mahouts , 
or  drivers,  by  spoken  orders,  pressure  of  the  feet  on 
their  necks,  and  the  customary  use  of  the  ankus , or 


tusks,  pile  the  huge  timbers  as  evenly  and  correctly  as 
one  could  wish.  What  surprised  us  the  most  was  to 
see  the  elephants  select  and  pick  out  particular  timbers 
from  the  centre  of  an  indiscriminate  stack  or  heap  of 


ELEPHANT  EMPLOYED  IN  A TIMBER-YARD,  MAULMAIN 


FROM  MAUL.MAIN  AND  PENANG 


87 


elephant  goad.  It  usually  requires  a year  or  a year  and 
a half  to  teach  them  the  ‘ lumber  business,’  and  when 
thoroughly  taught  they  are  worth  from  Es.  500  up- 
wards, according  to  their  abilities.  We  saw  one,  a 
venerable  old  fellow  nearly  ten  feet  in  height,  for 
which  the  owner  said  he  had  refused  an  offer  of 
Es.  3,000.  Sometimes  an  animal  breaks  his  tusks, 
being  forced  to  carry  an  excessive  weight  by  a stupid 
or  brutal  driver;  though  the  elephant  knows  his  own 
power,  and  generally  refuses  to  lift  more  than  his  tusks 
can  safely  bear,  for  if  these  should  be  broken  off  close 
to  the  head,  death  would  soon  ensue ; if  only  cracked 
they  are  hooped  about  with  iron  bands,  and  are  thus 
rendered  serviceable  for  many  years. 

On  leaving  Maulmain  our  course  was  nearly  due 
south.  We  saw,  though  dimly,  some  of  the  islands 
of  the  Mergui  Archipelago , belonging  to  the  British, 
and  the  island  of  Junk  Ceylon , which  has  extensive 
tin  mines,  and  which  exports  the  famous  edible  birds’ 
nests,  eaten  as  a luxury  by  the  Chinese.  Soon  after- 
ward we  obtained  glimpses  of  the  Malay  peninsula — 
the  Golden  Chersonese  of  the  ancients.  The  sea  life  of 
our  Chinese  passengers  was  to  us  a diverting  spectacle, 
and  greatly  relieved  what  would  otherwise  have  been 
a rather  monotonous  voyage.  Some  of  them  were 


88 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


‘ saloon  ’ passengers,  and  ate  at  our  table.  They  wore 
the  orthodox  blue  shirt  and  baggy  trousers,  slippers 
and  ‘ pigtails,’  and  long  finger-nails — one  gentleman  in 
particular  had  these  useful  appendages  nearly  as  long 
as  his  fingers — and  they  smoked  tobacco  and  opium 
in  little  brass  pipes,  and  gambled  through  half  of 
the  night.  They  seemed  intelligent,  and  were  very 
dignified  at  table,  partaking  of  everything,  and 
using  their  knife  and  fork  gracefully.  By  going 
‘ forward  ’ we  could  see  the  ‘ deck  ’ passengers,  a 
lower  class,  eating  with  chop-sticks — little  pieces  of 
wood  the  size  of  lead  pencils,  and  about  eight  inches 
in  length,  held  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger,  and 
supported  by  the  second  and  third  fingers — from 
numerous  little  bowls.  Their  food  consisted  of  rice 
and  little  fishes,  or  bits  of  pork,  or  potted  duck,  and 
fruit,  though  shrimps,  crabs,  potatoes  and  squashes  are 
also  eaten  by  them ; very  weak  tea  was  drunk  between 
meals,  and  at  meals  usually  nothing,  though  sometimes 
I detected  a bottle  of  so-called  ‘ champagne.’  ‘ John 
Chinaman  ’ lives  temperately,  though  he  has  pretty 
exact  ideas  upon  the  subject  of  good  living.  On  the 
steamer  they  cooked  with  small,  portable,  charcoal 
furnaces ; usually  each  variety  of  food  was  kept  by 
itself  in  a separate  bowl,  though  sometimes  stews  of 


FROM  MAULMAIN  AND  PENANG 


89 


everything,  all  the  4 odds  and  ends,  well  mixed,  were 
made.  A Chinaman  eats  from  many  little  bowls, 
holding  one  of  rice  in  his  hand,  and  selecting  bits  from 
the  others  in  turn  to  mix  and  eat  with  the  rice  ; in 


A BUDHIST  PRIEST 


eating,  they  hold  the  bowl  to  the  lips,  and  then  poke 
the  food  into  their  mouths  with  the  chop-sticks. 
They  ate  but  twice  a day,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  a 
meal  most  amusing  was  it  to  see  all  the  dishes  washed 
in  about  half  a pint  of  water. 


90 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


Our  voyage  was  much  ‘ lightened  ’ also  by  the  society 
and  friendship  of  the  Eight  Kev.  T.  Bigandet,  Bishop  of 
Eangoon  and  Apostolic  Vicar  of  Ava  and  Pegu.  He 
is  a talented  and  pleasant  old  gentleman,  and  was 
proceeding  to  Penang,  for  the  purpose  of  ordaining  a 
young  priest  there.  The  reverend  father  has  lived 
twelve  years  in  Penang  and  about  the  same  time  in 
Burma,  and  has  travelled  over  nearly  all  the  country 
between  Calcutta  and  Singapore.  He  speaks  eight 
languages,  including  the  difficult  Burmese,  Malay,  and 
Hindustani.  He  has  written  a very  learned  work 
on  the  ethnology  of  the  Burmese,  another  on  the  life 
of  Gaudama,  the  ways  to  Neibban,  and  the  pongyees 
or  monks,  and  is  altogether  the  best  informed  gen- 
tleman concerning  those  strange  countries  and  their 
stranger  peoples  that  we  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting. 

At  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  May 
we  were  awakened  by  the  steward,  who  whispered 
through  the  keyhole  of  the  door  of  our  cabin,  ‘ Penang 
is  in  sight,  gentlemen.’  We  dressed  quickly,  and 
going  on  deck,  there  we  beheld  the  beautiful  little 
island,  scarcely  two  miles  distant.  A sudden  rain 
squall  came  on,  hiding  everything  from  view,  but  we 
were  soon  anchored  off  Fort  Cornwallis,  and  a notice 
was  posted  on  the  main-deck  that  the  ‘ Mahratta  ’ 


FROM  MAULMAIN  AND  PENANG 


91 


would  remain  thirty  hours,  thus  giving  ample  time  for 
‘ through  ’ passengers  to  land.  An  English  war  vessel, 
a small  Siamese  steamer,  and  a half-dozen  ships  of 
various  nationalities  lay  at  anchor  near  by,  while 
farther  to  the  southward  were  about  a hundred  Chinese 
junks.  The  strait  in  which  we  were  anchored  was 
about  two  miles  wide,  and  Palo  Penang , covered  with 
cocoa  and  areca  palms,  (its  name  is  derived  from  the 
latter,  Penang  being  the  Malay  word  for  the  betel-nut 
palm,  and  Pido  meaning  island ; it  is  also  sometimes 
called  Prince  of  Wales’  Island),  nutmeg  and  clove 
trees,  dorians,  and  all  the  Malayan  fruits,  lay  before  us. 
It  is  fifteen  miles  in  length  and  eight  in  width.  The 
eastern  part  consists  of  a large  plain,  two  or  three  miles 
in  depth,  and  on  the  western  side  of  the  island  there  is 
a range  of  granite  hills  which  rise  in  one  place  to  a 
height  of  2,500  feet,  where  there  is  a signal  station,  and 
some  European  bungalows , or  country  houses.  Penang 
was  purchased  in  1785  by  the  East  India  Company 
from  theKajah  of  Queda,  a neighbouring  Malay  prince, 
for  2,000  Spanish  dollars.  At  that  time  the  island  was 
without  a single  inhabitant ; now  it  has  a population 
of  60,000 — Malays,  Chinese,  natives  of  India,  other 
Asiatics,  and  Europeans,  about  200  of  the  latter. 
On  the  mainland  opposite  Penang  is  a strip  of  country, 


92 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


sixty  miles  in  length  and  twenty  in  breadth,  purchased 
by  the  British  in  1802,  and  called  Province  Wellesley ; 
its  population  numbers  50,000,  mostly  Malays,  who 
raise  large  quantities  of  sugar-cane  for  export.  At  one 
time  black  pepper  was  largely  grown  by  the  Chinese 
in  Penang,  but  now  Sumatra  and  some  other  East 
Indian  islands  have  taken  the  lead  in  this  valuable 
commodity.  Penang  forms,  together  with  Province 
Wellesley,  Malacca,  and  Singapore,  what  is  called  the 
Straits  Settlements , the  government  being  under  the 
direction  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Singapore, 
who  formerly  was  subject  to  the  Viceroy  of  India, 
but  latterly,  I believe,  reports  directly  to  the  (En- 
glish) Home  Government. 

The  town — once  called  George  Town — lies  upon  the 
north-eastern  corner  of  the  island.  We  are  rowed 
ashore  in  a sampan — a small  passenger  row-boat— by  a 
smiling  Chinaman,  who  wears  an  immense  hat,  shaped 
like  a sugar-bowl  cover,  made  of  palm  leaf,  and  a coat 
or  short  cape  made  of  rope,  waterproof,  and  which 
strikingly  resembles  a western  door-mat.  Landing  at 
the  stone  jetty,  we  enter  a c/harry,  the  regulation  cab 
of  the  east,  and  are  driven  through  some  of  the  princi- 
pal streets.  Chinese  sampans,  as  well  as  junks,  all 
have  huge  eyes  painted  upon  their  prows,  for,  says 


FROM  MAULMAIN  AND  PENANG 


93 


‘ John,’  4 Spose  no  hab  got  eyes,  how  can  see?  ’ which 
terse  explanation  should  certainly  satisfy  the  most  in- 
quisitive. Eiding  along  a broad  and  clean  street,  we 
noticed  a few  fine  squares,  though  there  were  no  public 
edifices  of  any  particular  beauty ; the  private  dwellings 
of  the  Europeans  were  pleasantly  situated  in  the  midst 
of  fine  gardens.  Very  many  of  the  streets  were  occu- 
pied by  Chinese  shops ; among  them  we  noticed  those 
in  which  the  liquors  shamshu  and  bhang  (strong 
spirits  made  from  rice  and  hemp)  were  dispensed; 
there  were  also  many  joss  or  idol  houses  to  be  seen. 
A regiment  of  sepoys  is  stationed  here  ; the  small  fort 
commands  the  town  and  harbour,  and  just  courts  and 
an  excellent  police  organisation  combine  to  preserve 
order  even  with  such  a mixed  population. 

The  great  fertility  of  Penang  is  owing  to  the  high 
temperature  of  its  climate,  together  with  the  moisture 
produced  by  so  great  an  extent  of  surrounding  water ; 
and  it  is  perhaps  a more  healthy  residence  for 
Europeans  than  any  lowland  station  in  India.  When 
one  is  worn  with  sickness  or  the  cares  of  business,  it 
is  only  necessary  to  go  from  the  plains  to  the  hills, 
eight  miles  distant,  to  find  a perfect  sanitarium , with  a 
temperature  which  ranges  from  70°  to  75°  Fahrenheit 
throughout  the  year.  We  had  fortunately  abundant 


94 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


time  to  visit  ‘ Penang  Mountain.’  In  our  gharry  we 
rode  four  miles  to  the  foot  of  the  hills,  and  ordered 
two  grooms  with  ponies  to  follow  us  for  the  steeper 
half — the  remaining  four  miles  of  the  journey.  The 
road  is  very  good,  and  runs  past  the  foreign  residences ; 
then  ensue  immense  plantations  of  cocoa  and  areca 
palms,  with  little  Malay  huts  embedded  in  them  ; groves 
of  bread-fruit  trees,  nutmegs,  cloves,  bananas,  bamboos, 
and  the  pepper-plant  follow ; then  again  we  pass  cocoa 
palms — millions  of  them ; and  finally  the  gharry  halts 
alike  at  the  terminus  of  the  road  and  the  foot  of  the 
hills,  and  from  here  it  is  but  a half-mile  to  a wonder- 
ful waterfall.  In  the  midst  of  dense  woods  a mountain 
torrent,  about  twenty  feet  in  width,  dashes  down  a 
precipice  of  jagged  stone,  at  least  a hundred  and  fifty 
feet  in  height,  and  falls,  with  a noise  of  thunder,  into  a 
small,  deep  pool,  whence  it  flows  on  down  the  hill  in  a 
channel  deeply  cut  through  the  solid  rock.  The  fall 
is  a grand  sight  now  at  the  end  of  the  dry  season,  but 
must  be  much  grander  after  the  annual  rains,  when 
the  water  is  said  to  fall  in  a nearly  solid  sheet.  On 
one  side  of  this  fall,  at  the  bottom,  there  is  a small 
Hindoo  temple — a singular  example  of  the  reverence 
which  even  pagans  have  for  the  sublime  in  nature. 
From  this  mountain  torrent  large  iron  pipes  convey 


FROM  MAULMAIN  AND  PENANG 


95 


cool  water  to  Penang,  far  away  off  on  the  heated 
plain. 

Our  ponies  had  how  arrived,  and,  mounted  on  their 
backs,  we  commenced  the  ascent  of  the  hills  by  an  ex- 
cellent bridle-path.  After  a ride  of  about  two  miles, 
winding  backwards  and  forwards  over  the  hills  and 
through  the  valleys,  but  continually  rising  higher,  we 
reached  a region  of  beautiful  ferns,  interlaced  vines, 
and  huge  trees,  having  trunks  over  a hundred  feet  in 
height,  straight  ‘as  an  arrow,’  and  with  but  few 
branches,  and  these  near  their  tops,  and  so  thickly  set 
with  their  foliage  that  the  brightest  noonday  sun 
could  scarcely  penetrate  them.  Occasionally  we  ob- 
tained glimpses  of  the  plains  and  sea  below,  but  not 
until  we  had  reached  the  signal  station  did  the  mag- 
nitude and  magnificence  of  the  view  burst  upon  us. 
The  flag-staff’  is  about  2,500  feet  above  the  sea-level, 
and  scattered  around  on  convenient  heights  near  at 
hand  are  some  dozen  bungalows , including  a large  and 
comfortable  one  belonging  to  the  Governor.  The  view 
from  the  observatory  was  simply  superb.  Away  to 
the  north  was  the  ocean,  dotted  by  little  green  islands, 
and  the  peninsula  of  Malacca,  with  its  level  plains 
close  to  it,  and  ranges  of  mountains — some  peaks  over 
a mile  in  height — afar  off';  to  the  east  lay  the  town  of 


96 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


Penang,  the  houses  with  red  tiled  roofs,  and  white  and 
yellow  walls,  the  bright  emerald  groves  of  tropical 
trees,  and  the  well-made  roads,  and  the  sea  witli  hun- 
dreds of  vessels  at  anchor  ; then  beyond,  on  the  main- 
land, were  perfect  forests  of  cocoa  palms,  and  a small 
river,  shining  like  molten  silver,  wending  away  to  the 
mountains,  whose  dim  outlines  could  just  be  discerned 
in  the  distance ; to  the  south  were  some  islands  covered 
with  the  rankest  of  vegetation,  and  the  eye  also  looked 
over  the  beautiful  hills  and  valleys  of  Penang  island 
itself ; while  to  the  westward  lay  the  azure-hued  ocean 
stretching  away,  in  calm  majesty,  to  the  horizon. 

The  air  was  so  pure  and  exhilarating  that  we  walked 
the  greater  part  of  the  distance  to  the  foot  of  the  hills 
without  fatigue,  and  then,  re-entering  our  gharry. 
returned  to  the  steamer,  first  purchasing,  however, 
some  dorians  and  mangosteens , the  former  fruit  being 
largely  grown  in  Penang.  The  mangosteen  is  about 
the  size  of  a Sicily  orange,  and  grows  upon  a small 
tree  which  much  resembles  the  orange  tree.  The  skin 
is  a reddish  brown,  like  that  of  the  egg-plant ; the  rind 
is  red,  bitter,  and  about  a third  of  an  inch  thick,  and 
within  it  is  a white  pulp,  divided  into  six  or  eight  parts, 
each  with  a large  seed.  The  flavour  is  very  much 
like  that  of  wild  grapes,  vinous  and  refreshing.  On 


FROM  MAULMAIN  AND  PENANG 


97 


eating  it  the  rind  is  broken  with  the  fingers,  and  then 
the  white  pulp  is  removed  with  a fork  or  spoon.  The 
mangosteen  is  justly  esteemed  the  most  delicious  of  the 
East  Indian  fruits.  We  had  often  heard  of  the  exqui- 
site flavour  though  disagreeable  smell  of  the  dorian , 
so  we  resolved  to  taste  one  of  them  and  judge  for 
ourselves.  This  fruit  is  much  the  shape  of,  though 
the  size  is  larger  than  a pineapple;  it  is  green  and 
covered  with  short  thorns ; the  husk  is  yellow,  and 
about  a third  of  an  inch  in  thickness ; within,  the 
pulp  is  divided  into  four  quarters,  each  with  a central 
rib  or  partition,  and  six  large  seeds  the  size  and 
shape  of  hen’s  eggs,  which  are  covered  with  the  thin, 
juicy,  edible  matter.  The  smell  of  the  dorian  when 
first  opened  is  like  stale  fish,  and  when  eaten  the 
flavour  is  like  raw  onions,  leaving  a nauseating  garlic 
taste  in  the  mouth.  However,  notwithstanding  its 
rank  odour,  many  Europeans  resident  in  the  east  pro- 
fess to  like  the  dorian,  but  we  thought  its  primary 
intervening,  and  final  taste  most  unsavoury,  nay,  even 
extremely  disgusting. 

On  leaving  Penang  we  had  fairly  entered  the 

Straits  of  Malacca — a channel  500  miles  in  length 

which  connects  the  China  Sea  with  the  Indian  Ocean, 

flowing  between  the  Malay  peninsula  and  the  island 

9 


98 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


of  Sumatra,  with  a width  of  from  25  to  200  miles, 
and  steamed  along  in  sight  of  land,  on  one  hand 
or  on  the  other,  the  greater  part  of  the  time.  The 
navigation  of  some  part  of  the  straits  is  difficult  and 
dangerous  for  heavy  draught  vessels,  there  being  huge 
sandbanks  which  extend  across  it,  leaving  only  narrow, 
tortuous  channels.  We  passed  several  large  ships  and 
two  or  three  ‘ canalers,’  steamers  bound  for  different 
European  ports,  vid  the  Suez  Canal.  On  the  morning 
of  the  13th  we  sighted  the  old  town  of  Malacca , and 
were  soon  after  at  anchor  about  three  miles  from  the 
shore. 


TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 


99 


CHAPTER  X. 

TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 

The  town  of  Malacca,  founded  in  the  year  1252,  was 
taken  by  the  Portuguese  under  Albuquerque  in  1511, 
by  the  Dutch  in  1641,  and  by  the  English  in  1695  ; 
again  held  by  the  Dutch  from  1818  to  1825,  when, 
with  an  adjacent  territory  extending  for  forty  miles 
along  the  coast  and  thirty  miles  inland,  it  was  ceded  to 
Britain  in  exchange  for  Bencoolen,  in  Sumatra.  Of  late 
years  Malacca  has  much  declined ; whereas  formerly 
it  contained  20,000  inhabitants,  there  are  now  but 
13,000 — two-thirds  of  which  number  are  Malays.  The 
trade  is  mostly  in  the  hands  of  the  Chinese ; there  are 
not  many  Europeans,  and  none  engaged  in  trade  ; a few 
only  are  in  the  Government  service.  From  our  anchor- 
age the  little  native  town  looks  very  pretty,  and  the 
European  residences  upon  a small  hill  and  an  old 
church  nearly  covered  with  trees  can  just  be  discerned. 
To  the  right  of  the  town,  though  thirty  miles  inland, 
lies  Mt.  Ophir,  a single  peak  5,700  feet  high,  rising 


100  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


sharply  from  the  plain,  and  the  locality  where  there 
is  mined  a good  quality  of  gold.  About  the  same 
distance  to  the  left  are  some  excellent  tin  mines. 

In  the  middle  of  the  day,  going  on  shore  with  the 
captain,  the  first  objects  which  attracted  our  attention 
were  the  ruined  churches,  and  the  original  fortifications 
built  by  Albuquerque,  immediately  behind  the  town 
upon  a hill  about  a hundred  feet  in  height.  The  ruins 
are  those  of  the  Portuguese  monasteries  of  St.  Paul  and 
of  the  Hermanos  de  leche  with  the  church  of  Madre  de 
Dios , in  which  once  reposed  the  ashes  of  the  celebrated 
apostle  of  the  Indies,  St.  Francis  Xavier,  which  were 
afterwards  transferred  to  Goa.  We  saw  a tomb  slab 
within  the  crumbling  walls,  carved  with  an  hour-glass 
and  wings,  death’s  head  and  cross  bones,  and  bearing 
the  date  1568,  all  in  good  preservation.  One  part  of 
this  church  is  now  used  as  a signal  station,  and  another 
as  a powder  magazine.  We  afterwards  noticed  in  the 
town  several  tall,  many-storied  dwellings  of  the  archi- 
tecture of  the  16th  century.  Entering  a gharry , we 
were  driven  to  the  old  cemetery,  where  sleep  many 
thousand  Chinese  far  from  their  ‘flowery  kingdom.’ 
The  grounds  embrace  a hill  about  a mile  in  circum- 
ference, and  upon  its  sloping  sides  all  the  graves  have 
been  dug ; there  are  no  divisions  between  the  stones, 


TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 


101 


which  are  low,  carved  with  Chinese  characters,  and 
sometimes  gilded  or  coloured  red  or  green.  Chinese 
graves  have  no  footstones,  and  the  head  stone  is  always 
placed  towards  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and  around  the 
remainder  of  the  grave  there  runs  a low  horseshoe- 
shaped wall,  built  even  with  the  turf  on  its  outer 
side. 

The  vegetation  of  Malacca  is,  like  that  of  Penang, 
very  luxuriant.  The  streets  of  the  town  are  clean, 
though  not  broad  or  straight.  The  Chinese  houses  are 
well  made,  two  storeys  in  height,  and  as  we  rode  along 
we  generally  saw,  through  the  open  doors,  that  they  con- 
tained immense  paintings  of  some  one  of  their  numerous 
gods.  We  took  ‘ tiffin’  (lunch)  with  an  old  Portuguese 
resident,  born  in  Malacca,  and  the  agent  of  the  steam- 
ship company  to  which  the  ‘ Mahratta  ’ belongs.  In 
conversation  afterwards  the  old  gentleman  told  me  that 
he  acted  the  part  of  ‘ the  good  Samaritan  ’ to  the  des- 
titute captain  and  officers  of  one  of  the  American  ships 
which  the  piratical  Captain  Semmes  plundered  and 
burned  almost  within  sight  of  Singapore,  and  then 
brought  into  Malacca.  Returning  to  the  steamer,  we 
weighed  anchor  at  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  at 
daybreak  on  the  following  morning  had  passed  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  peninsula  of  Malacca,  and 


102  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


were  in  sight  of  the  island  of  Singapore,  which  is  low, 
richly  wooded,  with  very  irregular  shores,  and  skirted 
by  beautiful  little  islands,  the  homes  of  native  fishermen. 
Like  Malacca,  very  little  of  the  town  or  city  of  Singapore 
appears  from  the  sea,  though  a hill,  with  a signal-stall 
and  the  Governor’s  house,  and  a long  row  of  well-built 
godowns  (stores  or  warehouses),  stand  rather  promi- 
ently  forth.  We  steam  past  two  or  three  war  vessels, 
two  telegraph  steamers  (which  are  only  awaiting  orders 
from  London  to  commence  laying  a wire  from  here  to 
Hong  Kong),  and  by  some  thirty  or  forty  merchant 
ships  of  all  nations  to  our  anchorage  in  the  crescent- 
shaped roadstead  about  a mile  from  the  town.  We 
engage  a Malay  prow  to  take  us  ashore,  and  are  landed 
near  the  Hotel  d' Europe,  to  which  our  good  captain 
has  recommended  us.  This  hotel  we  find  to  be  very 
large  and  comfortable,  situated  in  the  midst  of  beautiful 
gardens,  facing  4 the  green,’  and  commanding  a fine 
view  of  the  straits,  the  large  island  of  Bintang  in  the 
distance,  and  the  Chinese  junks  and  foreign  shipping  in 
the  harbour.  Attached  to  the  establishment,  which  is 
kept  by  a German,  is  that  ‘ peculiar  institution’  an 
American  bar-room,  where  California  mixed  drinks 
are  served,  and  there  is  besides  a ‘ regular  down  east’ 
Boston  Arctic  soda-water  fountain ; a billiard-room  ; 


TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 


103 


and  a reading-room,  where  one  will  find  papers  and 
journals,  in  four  or  five  languages,  from  New  York, 
London,  Bombay,  Calcutta,  Batavia,  Hong  Kong, 
Shanghae,  Yokohama,  and  San  Francisco. 

The  island  of  Singapore,  situated  but  eighty  miles 
north  of  the  equator,  and  separated  from  the  mainland 
by  a strait  less  than  a mile  in  width,  is  itself  about 
twenty-seven  miles  in  length  by  fifteen  in  breadth, 
and  no  part  of  its  surface  rises  more  than  500  feet 
above  the  sea-level.  Gutta-percha , the  prepared  juice 
of  a tree,  was  originally  discovered  in  this  island  ; the 
principal  products  now  are  spices,  sugar-cane,  and 
fruits  ; the  only  important  manufacture  is  that  of  sago, 
which,  however,  comes  from  the  eastern  parts  of  the 
Malay  Archipelago.  Singapore,  taken  by  the  British  in 
1818,  was,  six  years  subsequently,  confirmed  in  their 
possession  by  treaty  with  the  native  Malay  prince — the 
Sultan  of  Johore — to  whom  it  had  belonged.  The 
town  of  Singapore  is  situated  on  the  south-east  corner 
of  the  island.  The  term  Singapore  or  Singapura,  is 
derived  from  the  Sanscrit,  a iinga,  a lion,  and  pura , a 
town,  Lion-town,  or  ‘ town  of  lions,’  though  why  so 
fancifully  named  is  not  known ; there  are  no  lions  in 
the  island,  the  nearest  approach  to  the  ‘ king  of  beasts  ’ 
being  his  royal  cousin  the  Bengal  tiger.  Formerly  these 


104  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


latter  animals  made  sad  havoc  among  the  natives;  a man 
a day,  on  an  average,  was  killed  for  many  years  after  the 
founding  of  the  settlement.  The  wily  beasts  were  said 
to  swim  across  the  channel  from  the  adjacent  continent, 
where  they  were  quite  plentiful,  and  on  this  account 
it  was  thought  impossible  to  rid  the  island  of  their 
presence ; but  by  cutting  down  and  burning  the  jungle 
and  building  towns  the  annual  death-rate  has  decreased 
to  about  a dozen  a year,  and  these  are  usually  coolies 
who  are  employed  in  the  spice  and  other  plantations 
in  the  interior,  far  away  from  any  dwellings. 

The  present  population  of  the  island  is  nearly 
100,000,  of  which  number  60,000  are  Chinese  and 
about  6,000  Europeans.  Singapore  is  said,  for  its 
size,  to  have  the  most  conglomerate  population  of 
any  city  in  the  world.  It  is  a free  port,  and  conse- 
quently has  a large  trade.  It  owes  its  present  pro- 
sperity,, and  even  existence,  to  the  fact  of  its  being 
situated  upon  the  great  thoroughfare  of  eastern  com- 
merce ; ships  can  be  found  at  this  great  entrepdt  of 
spices,  pepper,  sago,  rattan,  coirrope,  oil,  etc.,  loading 
for  all  parts  of  the  world ; it  is  a coaling  station  for 
the  men -of- war  of  all  nations,  and  the  India  and  China 
lines  of  steamers  make  it  a port ; it  is  a great  com- 
mercial emporium  in  which  are  warehoused  for  future 


TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 


J05 


distribution  the  staple  products  of  America,  Europe, 
and  Asia.  Fifty  years  ago  even,  Crawford  — at  one 
time  Governor  of  the  settlement — said  that  Singapore 
had  become  the  great  entrepot  of  south  Asia  and  the 
Malay  Archipelago,  to  which  the  inhabitants  of  all 
parts  of  the  Indian  Ocean  resorted  with  the  produce  of 
their  farming  and  manufacturing  industry,  and  in 
which  they  found  a ready  market  abundantly  stocked 
with  every  variety  of  European  goods. 

During  our  stay  at  Singapore  we  received  every 
kindness  and  attention  from  the  American  Consul, 
Dr.  Jewell,  of  Washington,  D.C.,  who  lived  with  his 
wife  in  the  same  hotel.  Dr.  J.  and  his  family  are 
Mississippians  by  birth,  education,  and  residence,  but 
they  remained  faithfully  loyal  to  the  National  Govern- 
ment during  our  late  terrible  civil  war.  The  Doctor 
has  been  seventeen  years  in  Washington,  connected,  in 
various  capacities,  with  both  the  Treasury  and  Post- 
Master  General’s  Departments.  He  had  lived  a little 
more  than  two  years  in  Singapore,  and  was  both  able 
and  willing  to  give  us  much  valuable  information. 

One  day  wTe  visited  Fort  Canning  to  obtain  a general 
view  of  Singapore.  This  fort,  built  upon  a small 
pyramid-shaped  hill,  about  200  feet  in  height,  and  just 
back  of  the  town,  mounts,  among  numerous  guns  of 


106  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

smaller  calibre,  some  few  68-pounders,  and  is  garri- 
soned by  300  British  and  700  Sepoy  troops.  Singapore 
is  divided  into  a Malay,  Chinese,  and  European  ‘ town,’ 
or  quarter ; it  is  too  irregular  to  present  a handsome 
appearance,  but  the  view  of  the  shipping  in  the  harbour 
and  the  distant  islands  is  rather  impressive.  The  town 
is  divided  by  a small  river,  in  which  are  thousands  of 
native  craft  of  every  description,  many  of  them  being 
employed  as  lighters  in  the  harbour.  On  the  extreme 
western  side  lies  the  Chinese  quarter ; nearer  is  the 
European  business  town,  the  centre  of  which  is  laid 
out  in  a small  garden  or  park,  around  which  is  a 
narrow  street  faced  by  two-storey  brick  stores,  and 
called  ‘ Commercial  Square.’  To  the  east  of  the  river 
are  the  public  buildings,  the  esplanade,  chief  hotels, 
European  residences,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  Kling 
community.  In  this  quarter  of  the  town  is  a hand- 
some building  styled  the  ‘ Singapore  Institution,’  fur- 
nished with  a library,  museum,  branch  schools,  &c.,  for 
the  cultivation  of  the  Chinese  and  Malay  languages 
and  literatures ; it  was  established  by  Sir  Stamford 
Raffles,  the  founder  of  the  settlement  of  Singapore,  in 
1823.  The  Governor’s  house  is  a large  brick  and 
stucco  building  on  the  summit  of  a little  knoll,  perhaps 
half  a mile  inland  from  Fort  Canning.  Were  it  not 


TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 


107 


for  its  immense  cupola  it  would  be  mistaken  for  a 
Government  department  or  office  of  some  kind,  and,  as 
it  is,  the  second  storey,  composed  entirely  of  arches  and 
Venetian  blinds,  and  the  upper  storey  formed  of  pillars 
and  Venetians,  present  a very  ugly  appearance.  There 
are  few  trees  about  the  house,  so  that  it  receives  the 
entire  force  of  both  sun  and  rain,  and,  excepting  only 
when  a strong  breeze  is  blowing,  it  must  be  a very 
uncomfortable  residence. 

The  large  Chinese  temple  of  Singapore  is  worthy  of 
a visit.  It  is  situated  in  one  of  the  principal  streets, 
and  consists  of  a plain  stone  house  with  most  fantastic 
and  curious  adornments,  having  a court-yard  in  front 
and  around  open  sheds.  Before  the  entrance  are 
two  large  stone  tigers,  in  whose  mouths  held  by  the 
teeth,  may  be  seen  and  felt,  perfectly  round,  loose 
stones,  so  cut  out  by  an  ingenious  Chinaman.  Then 
there  are  bas-reliefs,  and  inscriptions,  and  figures 
carved  upon  the  front  of  the  building,  while  its  pillars 
are  encircled  by  enormous  dragons.  But  it  is  in  the 
supporting  of  the  roof  that  the  most  lavish  ornamen- 
tation is  to  be  seen — the  wood  carving  of  gods,  and 
animals,  and  flowers,  and  arabesques,  all  painted  and 
gilded,  being  something  wonderful.  In  the  interior 
of  the  large  building  are  three  niches,  and  in  these  sit 


108  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

three  gods,  each  about  a foot  in  height,  carved  in 
wood  and  richly  gilded ; and  before  them  are  altars 
upon  which  burn  a peculiar  kind  of  punk,  or  slow- 
match,  and  candles,  and  there  are  besides  fruits  and 
rice,  placed  as  votive  offerings.  On  these  altars  there 
were  also  wishing-blocks — pieces  of  wood  five  inches  by 
three,  shaped  like  kidney-beans,  and  finely  carved.  In 
‘ wishing 5 they  are  held  by  one  extremity,  side  by  side 
in  the  hands,  and  then  thrown  in  the  air,  the  manner 
of  their  falling  indicating  good  or  evil  fortune ; but  I 
have  heard  somewhere  that  the  ingenious  people  have  a 
knack  of  throwing  them  until  they  fall  in  the  desired 
way.  Near  the  wishing-blocks  upon  the  altar 
were  huge  metallic  cups,  containing  each  about  fifty 
little  thin  sticks  of  bamboo.  Each  of  these  sticks  has 
a number  upon  it,  which  indicates  a passage  in  their 
‘ Book  of  Moral  Sentences,’  and  the  Chinamen  shake 
the  cups  round  until  one  of  these  little  sticks  falls  out, 
and  if  the  reference  to  this  should  not  prove  satis- 
factory, why,  they  simply  shake  again,  and  so  on. 
Some  of  the  idols  resembled  jolly  old  mandarins,  but 
most  had  a very  disagreeable  look,  with  their  narrow, 
almond-shaped  eyes,  broad,  sensual  faces,  and  thick, 
flabby  lips.  The  interior  of  this  temple  was  covered 
with  the  most  flaring  red  and  black  Chinese  texts,  and 


FAN  PALM—1  THE  TRAVELLER’S  FOUNTAIN 


TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 


109 


the  roofs  were  ornamented  with  little  dragons,  made  of 
encaustic  tiles  and  glass. 

We  next  visited  the  market,  which  contained  a great 
variety  of  vegetables  and  fruits,  but  few  meats,  the 
Chinese  diet  consisting  principally  of  fish  and  pork. 
We  drove  several  times,  while  in  Singapore,  into  the 
interior  of  the  island,  vid  Orchard  Road  and  River 
Valley  Road,  on  which  are  situated  the  European  bun- 
galows, or  country  houses,  from  two  to  four  miles  from 
town.  Orchard  Road  seems  to  be  the  most  popular  as 
a residence.  After  leaving  town  it  passes  through  a 
narrow  valley,  with  a series  of  little  hillocks  on  either 
hand,  and  upon  which  many  houses  have  been  built. 
The  road  is  very  pretty,  being  lined  by  tall  bamboo 
hedges  and  trees  which,  uniting  above,  form  a com- 
plete shade  ; the  beautiful  fan-palm — or  4 traveller's 
fountain,’  as  it  is  sometimes  called — will  deserve 
especial  notice,  with  its  immense  spread  of  feathery 
leaves,  constituting  an  exact  semicircle.  The  bun- 
galows are  generally  built  of  brick  and  stucco,  like 
those  of  India,  and  are  surrounded  by  large  compounds, 
or  gardens.  The  vegetation  is  always  in  the  full  bloom 
of  summer  in  Singapore,  owing  to  its  proximity  to  the 
equator  and  the  almost  daily  showers  of  rain.  Beyond 
the  residences  are  the  remains  of  many  nutmeg  planta- 


110  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


tions  (the  nutmeg  for  some  reason  or  other  will  not 
flourish  in  Singapore),  then  succeeds  a strip  of  thin 
jungle,  then  the  Chinese  pepper  and  gambier  planta- 
tions, and  then  comes  the  jungle  in  earnest,  with  its 
gigantic  trunks,  creepers,  orchids,  parasites,  and  fallen 
or  decayed  trees,  plants,  and  vegetables.  A very 
beautiful  spot  near  Singapore  is  called  New  Harbour. 
The  harbour  consists  of  a long  row  of  wharves,  about 
three  miles  from  town,  where  the  Peninsular  and 
Oriental  and  the  Messageries  Maritimes  steamers  he, 
and  where  there  are  coal  sheds,  and  docks  built  for 
their  repair.  New  Harbour  is  nearly  land-locked  by 
many  beautiful  little  green  islands,  and  the  clear  blue 
water  and  the  graceful  hills  of  Singapore  add  to  the 
charm  of  the  scene. 

Cocoa-nut  oil  is  a large  item  of  export  from  Singapore. 
Dr.  Little,  an  English  gentleman  and  an  old  resident, 
to  whom  I was  so  fortunate  as  to  bring  letters  of  intro- 
duction, called  one  morning  at  the  hotel  to  take  me  in 
his  buggy  to  a large  cocoa-nut  plantation,  owned  partly 
by  himself,  and  five  miles  distant  from  the  town.  The 
estate  is  nearly  a mile  square,  embracing  about  six 
hundred  acres,  situated  near  the  sea  shore,  and  the  soil, 
at  least  as  far  as  the  roots  penetrate,  is  entirely  com- 
posed of  sand.  The  trees  are  planted  in  rows  each 


TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 


111 


way  about  twenty  feet  apart,  and  are  of  all  ages  and 
sizes.  Cocoa-nuts  are  raised  principally  for  their  oil, 
though  rope  is  made  from  their  husks,  and  some  quan- 
tity of  them  is  exported  for  food.  We  walked  for 
some  time  beneath  the  trees,  and  then,  re-entering  the 
buggy,  drove  to  a distant  part  of  the  plantation  where 
there  was  a coir-rope  manufactory.  The  European 
manager  was  kind  enough  to  explain  the  different  pro- 
cesses of  manufacture,  which  are  extremely  simple. 
First  the  cocoa-nuts  are  broken  in  halves,  and  the  meat 
is  grated  off  the  shells  and  boiled  down  to  make  oil, 
while  the  husks  are  soaked  for  a day  or  two  in  a large 
tank  of  water.  When  taken  from  the  tank  they  are 
quite  soft,  and  their  coats  are  then  removed  by  simply 
forcing  them  between  and  through  two  rough  rollers 
(revolving  by  steam) ; this  process  leaves  the  long 
straight  fibres,  which  are  something  like  those  of  a 
broom,  and  next  they  are  cleaned  by  being  placed  in 
a large  fan-mill.  The  fibres  are  then  taken  to  another 
house,  where  they  are  again  cleaned  by  shaking  them 
in  the  air  with  two  sticks,  and  then  they  are  ready  to 
be  spun  into  ropes  of  various  sizes.  There  are  several 
ingenious  as  well  as  simple  contrivances  for  the  twisting 
of  the  strands,  though  the  greater  part  of  the  rope  is 

made  by  hand.  Nearly  200  Malays  and  Chinese 

10 


112  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


were  employed  in  this  establishment,  which  ‘turns 
out  ’ about  25,000  pounds  of  rope  per  annum.  This 
kind  of  rope,  though  extensively  used  by  vessels,  is 
not  so  strong  as  that  made  from  hemp.  We  took  a 
chota  hazree,  a little  breakfast,  with  the  obliging 
superintendent,  and  arrived  in  town  again  about  nine 
o’clock,  at  the  regular  breakfast  hour. 

In  the  afternoon  we  rode  to  the  house  and  gardens 
of  the  Hon.  Mr.  Whampoa,  a Chinese  merchant  who, 
unlike  the  majority  of  his  countrymen,  has  settled  for 
life  at  Singapore,  where  he  has  been  for  a long  time  in 
business,  and  is  reported  to  have  made  a fortune  of 
#2,000,000.  Mr.  Whampoa  is  a well-educated  gentle- 
man, speaks  English  perfectly,  and  is  a member  of  the 
town  council.  His  house,  three  miles  from  the  town, 
is  a complete  museum,  filled  with  the  most  expensive 
and  beautiful  curios  from  all  countries,  while  his 
gardens — he  is  a great  lover  of  flowers— are  one  of  the 
‘ lions  ’ of  the  place,  and  one  of  the  first  questions  asked 
a stranger  by  the  European  residents  of  Singapore  is, 
‘Have  you  seen  the  Chinaman’s  gardens?  if  not,  be 
sure  and  do  so  before  leaving.’  These  gardens  are 
rather  a work  of  art  than  nature,  i.e.  the  most  inte- 
resting plants  to  be  seen  have  been  brought  to  their 
present  form  and  condition  by  the  hand  and  skill  of 


TO  MALACCA  AND  SINGAPORE 


113 


man.  Some  shrubs — a species  of  box  apparently — 
are  tortured  into  the  most  fantastic  shapes  by  means  of 
clipping  and  confining  them  with  wires.  One  may 
see  living  dogs,  dragons,  fish,  and  exactly  formed 
boats,  pagodas,  and  baskets.  In  many  parts  of  the 
gardens  may  be  observed  the  monstrous  Victoria 
Regia  lilies,  here  growing  in  the  open  air.  Walking 
along,  we  saw  fish-ponds,  summer-houses,  canals, 
hedges,  a very  network  of  paths,  neatly  gravelled,  and 
then  we  came  to  the — pig-sty , a long  shed  filled  with 
separate  pens,  or  boxes,  in  which  immense  pigs,  of 
different  breeds,  were  wallowing;  one  hog — nearly  the 
size  of  a cow — being  too  fat  to  stand  upon  its  feet. 

We  also  had  an  opportunity  to  see  a sago  manu- 
factory through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Little,  who  sent 
his  Chinese  servant,  who  spoke  English,  with  us  as 
cicerone.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  sago  is  the 
pith  of  a tree  called  the  sago  palm.  The  raw  product 
comes  chiefly  from  Borneo  and  Sumatra,  and  Singapore 
is  its  chief  place  of  manufacture  and  exportation.  The 
sago  palm  bears  but  once — in  its  fifteenth  year — it  is 
then  cut  down,  the  pith  is  removed,  cleared  of  its 
fibres,  pressed  into  small  masses,  and,  being  bound  with 
leaves,  is  shipped  to  the  factory.  Here  it  is  washed  a 
number  of  times,  dried,  and  passed  through  sieves, 


114  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


becoming  a fine  white  flour.  It  is  then  placed  in  large 
pieces  of  linen,  sprinkled  with  water,  and  shook  until 
it  forms  into  grains  ; then  it  is  dried  in  large  kettles 
heated  very  hot,  next  passed  through  a fan-mill,  and 
dried  for  a day  on  large  mats  placed  in  the  sun,  and 
then,  being  put  in  bags  holding  about  two  bushels,  is 
ready  for  shipment  as  the  sago  of  commerce.  The 
factory  consisted  of  a series  of  large  open  sheds,  and 
the  workmen  were  all  Chinese.  Chinamen  are  the  in- 

i 

dustrious,  hard-working  class  of  the  native  population 
of  Singapore ; the  Malays  and  Klings  (from  the 
Coromandel  coast  of  India)  are  boatmen,  gharry 
wallahs  (cab  drivers),  sailors,  dhohees  (washermen), 
fishermen,  &c. 

It  may  give  some  idea  of  the  remarkable  produce 
of  the  sago  palm  when  it  is  known  that  three  trees 
will  yield  more  nutritive  matter  than  an  acre  of  wheat, 
and  six  trees  more  than  an  acre  of  potatoes.  And 
hence  we  find  that  sago  is  the  sole  bread  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Spice  Islands  and  Papua,  or  New 
Guinea,  and  its  neighbouring  islands. 


GENERAL  VIEW  OF  BANGKOK  AND  THE  MENAM  RIVER 


BANGKOK 


115 


CHAPTER  XI. 

BANGKOK 

At  Singapore  I parted  from  my  English  friend,  he 
going  to  Ceylon,  Bombay,  and  thence,  via  the  Suez 
Canal,  to  London  ; and  I to  Java,  and  Japan,  and  China. 
In  Yokohama  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  meet  the  Baron 
Hiibner — formerly  ambassador  of  Austria  in  Paris  and 
in  Rome — and  two  English  gentlemen,  who  were  fresh 
from  a fourteen  months’  tour  through  the  United 
States.  At  the  Baron’s  kind  solicitation,  I joined  his 
party,  and  then  we  visited  in  turn  Shanghae,  Tientsin, 
Pekin,  and  the  ‘ Great  Wall.’  But  I cannot  reproduce 
here  the  strange  scenes  we  witnessed  in  northern  China  ; 
nor  can  I relate  how  hospitably  we  were  entertained  by 
Ministers  Low,  Vlangalli,  Calice,  and  Wade  in  the 
‘ Tartar  City  ; ’ nor  can  I give  an  account  of  our  voyage 
600  miles  up  the  great  Yang-tse-Kiang  river  to 
Hankow  and  Wuchang ; nor  may  I write  about  the 
quaint  sights  of  Canton  or  Macao  : all  this  would  easily 
fill  another  volume,  and  besides  the  title-page  speaks 


116  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


only  of  travels  in  Farther  India.  Merely  let  me  add 
that  from  Hong  Kong  we  crossed  the  China  Sea  to 
Manilla  and  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  then  our  course 
was  towards  the  equator,  to  Saigon ; and  now  again, 
seven  months  from  the  time  of  my  departure,  I find 
myself  at  the  ‘Hotel  d’Europe,’  Singapore,  eager  and 
impatient  to  visit  those  other  lands  of  the  White  Elephant 
and  the  areca  palm — Siam,  Cambodia,  and  Cochin  China. 

My  fellow-travellers  having  decided  to  go  on  to 
Ceylon  and  India,  alone  I go  on  board  the  steamer 
‘Martaban,’  of  600  tons  burden,  which  Capt.  Buxton 
informs  me  will  leave  at  nine  o’clock  in  the  evening  for 
Bangkok.  I find  myself  to  be  the  only  cabin  passenger 
on  board,  and  also  soon  find  that  the  steamer  is  re- 
markably slow,  making  but  about  six  knots  per  hour, 
and  the  distance  to  Bangkok  being  800  miles,  with  the 
north-east  monsoon  blowing  and  a head  current  of  'a 
knot  and  a half  running.  Fortunately  with  pleasant 
weather  we  crossed  the  China  Sea,  and  on  December 
30  entered  the  Gulf  of  Siam  (500  miles  in  length  by 
250  in  breadth),  and  which,  notwithstanding  the  penin- 
sula of  Cambodia  consists  for  the  most  part  of  low- 
lying  land,  is  never  visited  by  typhoons  or  heavy  gales. 
The  head  of  the  gulf  is  a ‘ bight  ’ about  sixty  miles 
square,  and  entering  this,  an  island  away  to  the  north- 


BANGKOK 


117 


east  was  the  first  land  of  Siam — the  chief  kingdom  of 
the  Chin-Indian  group  of  countries — seen  by  the  officers 
of  the  steamer.  Soon  after  some  hills  upon  the  main- 
land to  the  westward  of  us  appeared ; and  about  four 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  with  the  lowland  lying  ahead 
and  just  visible,  we  received  on  board  our  pilot. 
At  the  mouth  of  the  Menam  river  there  is  an  almost 
impassable  bar,  a channel  through  which  might  easily 
be  kept  open,  but  the  Siamese  authorities  object  to  such 
a project.  It  is  reported  that  a few  years  ago  some 
English  merchants  offered  to  dredge  a channel  through 
this  bar,  whereupon  the  King  told  them  he  would  not 
have  it  done  on  any  account,  that  rather  he  would 
prefer  to  pay  somebody  to  place  a sandbank  there — 
that  it  was  a good  protection  against  enemies.  And 
just  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  the  Siamese  have  sunk 
three  junks,  in  the  same  enlightened  spirit  which 
prompts  them  to  retain  the  bar  intact ; but  the  pilots, 
knowing  the  position  of  these  junks,  manage,  though 
with  difficulty,  to  pass  between  them.  The  river  seems 
about  half  a mile  in  width  ; its  banks  are  fringed  with 
mangroves  and  jungle,  and  beyond  are  immense  paddy 
fields. 

About  six  miles  up  the  river  we  came  to  the  small 
village  of  Paknam,  where  is  the  Siamese  custom-house ; 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


and  two  forts,  the  one  on  a small  island  opposite  the 
town,  mounting  eight  or  ten  large  guns,  the  one  next  the 
town  with  no  armament,  and  seeming  to  be  in  a very 
dilapidated  condition.  According  to  rule,  the  captain 
is  compelled  to  anchor  and  land  at  the  custom-house — 
a large  bamboo  shed,  with  a palm-leaf  roof,  and  con- 
taining nothing  but  a table  and  two  or  three  chairs. 
A Siamese  official  in  native  dress — a short  white  jacket 
and  a strip  of  cloth  around  the  waist  and  drawn  between 
the  thighs — presents  a common  blank-book,  in  which 
the  captain  writes  his  report,  and  besides  (at  the  request 
of  the  officer,  who  spoke  English  fairly),  some  infor- 
mation concerning  the  movements  of  the  King  of  Siam 
at  Singapore.  His  Majesty  was  at  the  time  absent 
from  the  kingdom  on  a pleasure  excursion  to  Calcutta 
and  India.  Proceeding  up  the  river,  just  above  Paknam 
we  noticed  another  small  fort  having  a few  guns,  but 
no  guard  or  other  evidence  of  occupation.  Opposite 
this  fort  on  an  island  is  a plain  white  pagoda  and  some 
small  temples  ; these  are  used  only  on  particular  festival 
days.  The  river  banks  are  very  beautiful,  being  thickly 
covered  with  the  vegetation  peculiar  to  the  tropics — 
bamboos,  bananas,  cocoa  palms,  mangroves,  and  hun- 
dreds of  plants  of  familiar  form  but  unknown  name. 
We  next  passed  some  immense  sugar-cane  plantations, 


HIS  MAJESTY  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 


BANGKOK 


119 


then  some  paddy  fields  and  a Burmese  village  on  the 
right,  and  orange  gardens  and  a small  town  on  the  left 
bank.  The  river  here  doubles  upon  itself,  so  to  speak, 
thus  increasing  the  distance  to  Bangkok  by  fifteen  miles. 
We  afterwards  passed  large  plains  of  betel-nut  and 
cocoa-nut  palms  on  the  one  side,  and  dock  and  ship- 
building yards  upon  the  other.  Owing  to  a low  tide 
we  anchor  here,  though  the  city  proper  is  nearly  two 
miles  distant,  and  nothing  can  be  seen  of  it,  the  ground 
being  too  level  and  the  vegetation  too  dense.  The 
captain  takes  me  ashore  in  his  gig.  We  pass  on  the 
right  a French  Roman  Catholic  church,  another 
custom-house,  and  the  Consulates  of  America,  Ger- 
many, England,  France,  and  Portugal.  These  consular 
buildings  are  plainly  built  of  brick  and  stucco,  situated 
in  large  compounds  of  plants  and  flowers  near  the 
river.  In  this  section  of  the  Menam  are  anchored 
many  small  barks,  most  of  them  flying  the  national 
standard  of  a white  elephant  on  a crimson  ground  ; no 
large  vessels  and  no  steamers  are  to  be  seen,  though 
in  commerce  Bangkok  once  ranked  second  only  to  Cal- 
cutta and  Canton. 

We  land  at  Falcks’  ‘ Bowling  Alley  and  Billiard 
Hall,’  and  enquire  for  rooms  in  the  boarding  and 
lodging  department,  which  we  find  situated  a short 


120  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


distance  back  from  the  river.  ‘ Falcks’  Hotel  ’ consists 
of  a long,  low,  one-storey  building,  raised  upon  piles 
about  four  feet  from  the  ground,  and  I am  shown  by 
the  polite  proprietor  into  a room  less  than  ten  feet 
square,  it  being  ‘ the  best  the  house  affords  ; ’ the  sides 
of  this  room  extend  only  to  the  eaves  of  the  roof,  the 
entire  building  being  open  above  them  to  the  ridge- 
pole. The  people  assembled  at  dinner  were  all  Germans, 
and  apparently  all  skippers — masters  of  the  merchant 
vessels  in  port.  The  table  was  graced  by  the  presence 
of  but  one  lady,  a captain’s  wife.  On  the  following  day, 
being  the  bearer  of  a letter  of  introduction  to  the 
Private  Secretary  of  the  Supreme  King — ISTai  phon 
Eaya  nat  tianahar — I called  upon  the  American 
Consul — General  F.  W.  Partridge,  of  Illinois — to  ask 
his  advice  concerning  its  disposal.  Sending  in  my  card, 
a tall  and  slender  gentleman  about  sixty  years  of  age, 
dressed  in  a white  duck  suit  with  gilt  army  buttons, 
soon  presented  himself,  and  gave  me  a most  cordial 
greeting.  Upon  stating  that,  having  no  acquaintance 
there,  I had  taken  the  liberty  to  call  and  ask  his  advice 
concerning  the  things  best  worth  seeing  in  Bangkok 
and  the  surrounding  country,  the  General  very  kindly 
offered  me  any  assistance  in  his  power.  The  Private 
Secretary,  to  whom  my  letter  was  addressed,  had  gone 


BANGKOK 


121 


with  the  King  to  Calcutta.  The  Consul — a truly 
representative  American — graduated  in  the  University 
of  Vermont ; was  president  for  some  time  of  a 
college  in  Pennsylvania ; served  in  the  Mexican  war 
and  through  the  greater  part  of  the  late  civil  war, 
and  bears  upon  his  body  many  scars — honourable 
proofs  of  fidelity  and  zeal  in  his  country’s  cause.  He 
has  resided  in  Bangkok  a little  more  than  two  years, 
and  proposes  remaining  two  more. 

In  the  afternoon  the  Consul’s  son,  who  acted  as  U.S. 
Marshal,  kindly  took  me  to  see  something  of  the  city. 
We  went  in  the  Consulate  barge,  which  is  simply  a large 
row-boat  of  the  gondola  pattern,  with  a small  pavilion 
in  its  centre  fitted  with  blinds  and  shelves  and  seats 
and  cushions ; and  the  boatmen  in  livery,  two  behind 
and  two  before,  row  standing  and  facing  the  bow,  look- 
ing forwards.  Bangkok  has  been  aptly  styled  the 
‘ Venice  of  the  East,’  for  its  thoroughfares  and  high- 
ways of  traffic  are  simply  intersecting  canals  and  branches 
of  the  river  ; and  the  majority  of  the  houses  are  either 
floating,  built  upon  rafts,  or  upon  piles  on  the  sides  of 
these  waterways.  There  are  some  narrow  paths  on 
terra  jirma , however,  and  the  King  has  recently  built  a 
long  stretch  of  road  as  a drive ; it  is  reported  that 
he  also  promises  to  build  highways  alongside  of  the 


122  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

principal  canals.  The  situation  of  Bangkok  is  unique. 
The  river  Menam  flows  through  its  western  quarter, 
and  upon  the  eastern  there  is  a wall  fifteen  feet  in 
height  and  about  twelve  in  breadth.  When  the  capital 
was  moved  here  from  Ayuthia,  in  1769,  the  houses 
were  built  upon  the  banks  of  the  river,  but  the  cholera 
became  so  frequent  that  one  of  their  kings  ordered  the 
people  to  build  upon  the  river  itself,  which,  ‘ owing  to 
greater  cleanliness  and  better  ventilation,’  proved  to  be 
much  more  healthful.  The  houses  are  built  upon 
bamboo  rafts,  which  extend  for  several  miles  along  the 
river,  four  or  six  deep,  chained  together  and  to  the 
shore ; and  each  raft  is  secured  by  rattan  ropes  to  a pole 
driven  into  the  muddy  bottom  in  such  a manner  as  to 
allow  of  its  rising  and  falling  with  the  tide.  It  is  said 
there  are  as  many  as  twelve  thousand  of  these  floating 
dwellings  and  shops.  Siamese  houses  are  generally 
built  of  bamboo,  covered  on  roofs  and  sides  with  atap- 
palm  leaves,  and  are  one  storey  in  height.  Those  on  the 
river  front  are  mostly  shops  owned  by  Chinamen  ; they 
have  two  little  peaked  roofs  and  a small  verandah,  and 
one  side  is  left  open  to  display  goods  to  those  passing 
on  the  river.  When  a family  dwelling  in  a floating 
house  wish  to  move,  they  simply  cast  off  the  moorings 
and  float  with  the  tide  up  or  down  the  river,  as  the 


BANGKOK 


123 


case  may  be.  There  are  said  to  be  only  two  divisions 
in  a Siamese  house  ; of  these  one  is  occupied  by  males 
and  the  other  by  females.  The  floors  of  the  houses 
which  are  built  (raised  upon  piles)  on  the  banks  of  the 
canals  are  reached  by  ladders,  those  on  the  river  have 
small  landing-places  and  steps  on  their  rafts. 

The  existence  of  the  Siamese,  like  that  of  the 
Burmese,  may  almost  be  said  to  be  amphibious  ; they 
seem  to  pass  more  than  half  their  lives  in  or  on  the 
water,  and  their  chief  food  is  the  supply  they  get  from 
it,  fish.  Everywhere  we  see  canoes  and  boats,  many  of 
them  propelled  by  women  and  little  boys.  ‘ Boats  are 
the  universal  means  of  conveyance  and  communication. 
Except  about  the  palaces  of  the  kings,  horses  or  carriages 
are  never  seen  [1858],  and  the  sedan  of  the  Chinese 
appears  unknown  in  Siam ; but  a boat  is  a necessary 
part  of  every  person’s  household;  to  its  dexterous 
management  every  child  is  trained ; women  and  men 
are  equally  accustomed  to  the  use  of  the  oar,  the 
paddle,  and  the  rudder.  From  the  most  miserable 
skiff  which  seems  scarcely  large  enough  to  hold  a 
dog,  to  the  magnificently  adorned  barge  which  is 
honoured  with  the  presence  of  royalty,  from  the  shab- 
biest canoe  hewn  out  of  the  small  trunk  of  a tree  from 
the  jungle  up  to  the  roofed  and  curtained,  the  carved 


124  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

and  gilded  bark  of  the  nobles — every  rank  and  con- 
dition has  its  boats  plying  in  endless  activity,  night  and 
day,  on  the  surface  of  the  Menam  waters.’ 

For  nearly  half  a mile  both  banks  of  the  canal  were 
lined  with  rice  factories,  owned,  almost  without  an 
exception,  by  the  Chinese  ; their  business  is  to  separate 
the  rice  kernel  from  its  paddy  husk  and  pack  it  for 
shipment.  Then  we  came  to  the  Wat  Sah  Kate 
pagoda,  situated  in  a vast  enclosure,  containing  besides, 
after  the  usual  arrangement,  two  or  three  temples,  with 
huge  gilt  images  of  Budha  within  them,  a large 
building  for  preaching,  the  dwellings  of  the  priests, 
and  many  pavilions  for  the  use  of  worshippers  ; but  the 
grounds  were  in  a very  dilapidated  condition.  The 
King  had  recently  turned  ‘ adrift  ’ all  the  priests,  several 
hundreds  of  them,  to  earn  an  honest  living  by  hard 
work  instead  of  begging,  and  so  the  wat , or  temple,  was 
closed  to  the  public.  The  pagoda  is  not  completed,  but 
still  sufficient  has  been  built  to  convey  an  idea  of  the 
original  design.  It  was  erected  by  a prince  about  fifty 
years  ago,  and  is  the  largest  edifice  of  the  kind  in  the 
city.  Built  of  brick,  the  form  is  that  of  a bell,  with  a 
circumference  of  about  a thousand  feet,  and  an  altitude 
of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  sides  are 
covered  with  small  niches  (probably  intended  as  the 


TEMPLES  AND  PAGODAS  AT  BANGKOK 


BANGKOK 


125 


receptacle  of  idols),  and  many  narrow,  sunken  stair- 
cases lead  to  the  summit;  a large  one  on  the  outside 
winds  around  it  to  the  top,  which  is  a level  place  atiout 
fifty  feet  square,  and  upon  which  rests  another  pagoda, 
perhaps  seventy-five  feet  in  height.  This  one  has  pas- 
sages through  it,  and  in  the  centre  there  is  a small 
brass  image  of  Budha.  From  the  summit  of  this  huge 
pile  of  brick  may  be  obtained  a very  fine  view  of  the 
city  of  Bangkok  and  its  surroundings  ; though  this  is 
hardly  a correct  statement,  for  you  see  very  few  of  the 
dwelling-houses  of  the  city  ; here  and  there  a wat,  or 
pagoda,  the  river  with  its  shipping,  the  palace  of  the 
King,  and  a waving  sea  of  cocoa-nut  and  betel-nut 
palms,  is  about  all  that  distinctly  appears.  The  general 
appearance  of  Bangkok  is  that  of  a large,  primitive 
village,  situated  in  and  mostly  concealed  by  a virgin 
forest  of  almost  impenetrable  density.  On  one  side 
beyond  the  city  limits  were  paddy  fields,  and  on  the 
other  to  the  very  horizon  stretched  the  exuberant 
jungle. 

On  the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  the  palace  stands 
the  most  remarkable  pagoda  in  Bangkok,  called  Wat 
Cheng.  While  being  rowed  thither  I was  much 
struck  with  the  resemblance  of  the  Siamese  women  to 
the  men,  their  features  being  very  similar,  their 


126  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

dresses  nearly  alike,  and  both  having  the  head  shaved 
in  the  same  manner ; but  upon  close  inspection  it  was 
usually  seen  that  there  were  some  distinguishing 
marks — that  the  women  wore  a narrow  scarf  around 
the  shoulders,  and  allowed  a lock  of  hair,  some  three 
inches  in  length,  to  hang  down  before  the  ear.  Seen 
from  the  river,  the  floating  houses,  swiftly-passing 
boats,  wats  and  pagodas,  and  palaces  together  form  a 
scene  partaking  more  perhaps  of  the  quaint  and  odd 
than  of  either  the  beautiful  or  grand.  The  Wat 
Cheng  pagoda  is  bell-shaped,  with  a lofty,  tapering  steeple 
— zprachadi,  sacred  spire ; the  whole  probably  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height.  It  is  built  of  brick 
and  plastered  on  the  outside,  which  is  wrought  into  a 
grotesque  and  fantastic  mosaic  with  Chinese  cups, 
plates,  and  dishes  of  all  sizes  and  colours,  broken  and 
whole,  so  set  in  the  plaster  as  to  form  figures  of 
elephants,  monkeys,  demons  and  griffins,  flowers, 
fruits,  vines  and  arabesques.  In  large  niches  upon  the 
sides,  at  nearly  half  the  distance  to  its  top,  are  images 
of  Budha  riding  on  three  elephants.  The  grounds  of 
Wat  Cheng , some  twenty  acres  in  extent,  embrace — 
besides  the  priests’  dwellings,  temples,  preaching-room, 
library,  and  halls — beautiful  flower  and  fruit  gardens, 
ponds,  grottoes,  belvederes,  and  stone  statues  (brought 


WAT  CHENG  PAGODA,  BANGKOK 


BANGKOK 


127 


from  China)  of  sages,  giants,  warriors,  griffins, 
nondescripts,  &c.  In  returning  to  the  hotel  we 
stopped  at  a floating  booth  where  a theatrical 
entertainment  was  in  progress.  The  dresses  of  the 
performers  were  rich,  and  the  acting  was  much  in  the 
Chinese  style,  though  there  was  perhaps  not  so  much 
ranting,  the  voices  being  pitched  to  a more  natural 
key.  A great  part  of  the  dialogue  was  in  verse  ; and 
the  accompanying  music  was  most  primitive  and  droll, 
consisting  simply  of  beating  two  bamboo  sticks 
together.  A band  of  three  ‘ pieces  ’ was  also  in 
attendance,  and  the  music  discoursed  was  of  a lively 
character,  and  very  much  resembled  some  of  the 
Scotch  and  Irish  airs.  The  play  was  gross  and 
obscene  throughout,  as  is  usually  the  case  among 
eastern  nations.  The  Siamese  are  alike  fond  of  their 
national  music  and  drama. 

In  company  with  the  Consulate  interpreter,  ‘ Henry  ’ 
— a good-natured,  intelligent  Siamese,  who  spoke 
English  quite  well — I visited  other  of  the  temples  and 
pagodas  of  Bangkok.  To  the  Wat  Sah  Prah  Tam , 
situated  without  the  city  walls,  we  were  admitted  by 
the  porter  in  charge,  after  paying  a silver  tical  (about 
60  cts.)  At  one  extremity  of  this  temple  was  a large 
gilded  image  of  Budha,  with  a smaller  one  just  in 


though  the  colours  were  too  deep  and  decided,  the 
contrasts  too  great,  the  perspective  often  at  fault ; and 
the  figures  were  stiff,  and  faces  smiling,  but  devoid  of 
any  distinguishing  character.  This  wat  and  all  Siamese 
wats  are  lofty  buildings  of  brick,  with  roofs  rising  in 


128  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

front,  both  sitting  cross-legged,  and  being  surrounded 
by  many  costly  garments.  The  walls  were  painted  in 
gaudy  colours,  with  pictures  of  the  annual  or  semi- 
annual religious  visit  of  the  King  and  Court  to  this  wat. 
In  these  paintings  the  landscapes  were  fairly  executed, 


TEMPLE  OF  THE  SLEEPING  IDOL,  BANGKOK 


BANGKOK 


129 


connected  but  decreasing  tiers,  and  projecting  over  deep 
verandahs,  which  are  supported  by  rows  of  massive 
square  pillars,  some  of  them  sixty  feet  in  height,  and 
the  whole  is  covered  with  white  cement.  The  roofs 
are  usually  made  of  varicoloured  tiles,  and  at  the 
ridge-pole  extremities  are  wooden  ornaments  very 
much  the  shape  and  size  of  a bullock’s  horn,  which 
give  an  odd  and  fanciful  but  rather  graceful  finish  to 
the  buildings.  The  doors  are  large  and  covered  with 
fine  carving,  gilt  and  black ; the  windows  (or  rather 
window  shutters,  for  there  is  no  glass),  which  are 
numerous,  are  also  carved  and  sometimes  ornamented 
with  small  pieces  of  coloured  glass. 

There  are  many  temples  belonging  to  the  Chinese, 
which  race  is  so  largely  represented  in  the  population 
of  Bangkok.  The  largest  of  these,  called  Wat  Con- 
layer  Nemit,  contains  a brass,  cross-legged  (sitting) 
Budha,  about  fifty  feet  in  height  and  forty  in  width  at 
the  bent  knees.  The  immense  roof  of  this  temple  is  as 
much  as  one  hundred  feet  from  the  ground.  A great 
heap  of  betel-nuts  was  stored  in  one,  and  two  or  three 
keepers  or  priests  were  living  in  another  corner  of  the 
sacred  edifice.  There  were  two  smaller  wats  within 
the  same  enclosure ; the  one  contained  a brass  Budha 
sitting  upon  a rock,  supported  by  a copper  elephant  on 


130  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


one  side  and  a leaden  monkey  looking  up  with  rever- 
ential eyes  on  the  other.  The  other  wat  contained  a 
large  central  image  of  Budha,  and  about  a hundred 
smaller  ones  in  different  positions,  before  and  around 
it  ; some  were  made  of  lead,  some  of  brass,  some  of 
mixed  metal,  some  of  wood,  and  ‘ Henry,’  the  inter- 
preter, tells  me  there  were  some  there  also  of  gold 
and  silver,  presented  by  the  princes  and  nobles,  but  the 
priest  in  attendance  could  not  be  induced  to  point  out 
their  locality.  The  walls  were  covered  with  coloured 
illustrations  of  Siamese  tradition,  fable,  and  history. 

Having  pretty  extensively  traversed  the  city  by 
water,  one  day  some  friends  proposed  a horse-back  ride 
to  the  palace  walls  and  back.  We  rode  over  a good, 
macadamised  road,  built  by  the  late  Supreme  King, 
to  the  main  entrance  of  the  palace,  where  we  saw  a 
battalion  of  native  troops  exercising.  Halting  for  a 
few  moments,  we  observed  that  their  chill  and  evolu- 
tions were  performed  with  rapidity  and  exactness. 
Their  uniform  consisted  of  yellow  coats  and  blue 
trousers,  with  white  canvas  caps  (navy  pattern) ; their 
feet  were  bare,  and  their  weapons  were  muskets  and 
swords  of  European  design  and  manufacture.  The 
palace  walls,  fifteen  feet  high  by  twelve  in  width,  with 
a notched  parapet,  and  the  trees  conceal  most  of  the 


BBASS  JrOL  IN  TEMPLE  : BANGKOK 


BANGKOK 


131 


buildings  within,  though  we  noticed  some  such  lofty 
structures  as  a clock-tower,  also  some  ivats,  pagodas, 
and  ‘ sacred  spires.’  The  native  houses  have  been 
torn  down  and  cleared  away  for  some  considerable  dis- 
tance around  the  walls,  and  it  is  intended  that  this 
space  shall  be  neatly  turfed  or  arranged  in  parks  and 
flower  gardens.  At  one  corner  of  the  palace  enclosure 
we  passed  the  royal  (black)  elephant  stables — a dozen 
in  number — the  ‘ white  ’ elephant  being  housed  within 
the  walls.  The  gates  of  the  palace  are  built  of  simple 
teak  wood,  embossed  with  huge  nails,  but  they  are 
neither  strong  nor  handsome. 

Near  this  part  of  the  city  the  late  King  has  laid  out 
several  streets  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  and  built 
upon  them  compact  blocks  of  two-storey  brick  houses, 
which  are  now  rented  by  the  Government  (the  King  ?) 
to  the  people.  The  present  King  has  followed  the 
example  of  his  royal  father  in  these  civic  improvements. 
He  has  built  a good  road  around  the  city  just  ’within 
the  walls,  and  also  several  blocks  of  houses  next  ad- 
joining those  erected  by  the  late  King.  In  several 
instances  the  intersection  of  two  streets  has  been  made 
or  built  into  a circle,  having  a fountain  or  tower  in 
the  centre.  And  thus  are  some  small  transplanted 
shoots,  taken  from  the  great  tree  of  western  civilisation, 


132  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

with  its  wide-spreading  branches  of  progressive  thought 
and  action,  slowly  but  surely  taking  root  in  the  recep- 
tive soil  of  Siam,  once  so  vain  and  capricious.  Having 
roads,  the  Siamese  will  next  have  ox-carts  or  carriages ; 
indeed,  some  of  the  nobles  have  already  imported 
the  latter  from  Calcutta,  and  they  may  now  occasion- 
ally be  seen  taking  a drive,  at  the  fashionable  hour  of 
the  afternoon,  sitting  gravely  upright,  and  as  they  roll 
along  the  dusty  streets  looking  upon  their  friends  and 
neighbours  with  a very  perceptible  sense  of  new-found 
importance,  illustrative  of  deep  culture  and  nice  re- 
finement. The  Supreme  King  himself  is  also  accustomed 
to  take  the  air  in  a barouche  drawn  by  six  horses, 
with  liveried  postillions,  and  attended  by  gorgeous  out- 
riders and  a mounted  escort  of  the  royal  guard. 


SUPREME  KING  OF  SIAM  IN  HIS  STATE  ROBES 


EXCURSION  TO  PECHABURI 


133 


CHAPTER  XII. 

EXCURSION  TO  PECHABURI 

To  the  kindness  of  the  American  Consul  I was 
indebted  for  an  introduction  to  the  Private  Secretary 
of  the  Second  King  and  Secretary  of  the  Foreign 
Office  — a Mr.  Chandler,  formerly  of  Connecticut. 
This  gentleman  told  me  he  came  out  to  Siam  twenty- 
eight  years  ago  in  the  capacity  of  a missionary.  He 
has  lived  here  during  the  reign  of  three  Siamese  kings, 
and  has  witnessed  the  arrival  and  departure  of  several 
foreign  missions,  whose  commercial  leagues  or  treaties 
with  Siam  he  has  often  been  instrumental  in  furthering 
or  negotiating.  He  has  seen  the  country  progress  in 
legislation  and  commerce,  until  now  nearly  every 
western  Power  is  represented  by  its  consul  resident 
at  Bangkok,  and  Siam  is  fast  becoming  one  of  the 
most  enlightened  nations  east  of  Calcutta.  Several 
years  ago  Mr.  C.  gave  up  his  missionary  labours  and 
entered  the  Government  service,  first  as  an  interpreter, 
next  as  tutor  to  the  King,  and  then  as  Secretary  of  the 
Foreign  Office,  which  latter  position  he  at  present 


134  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


retains.  Mr.  Chandler’s  family  consists  only  of  a wife — 
a most  worthy  lady,  who  came  from  home  with  her 
husband  to  assist  him  in  his  religious  labours,  and  who 
now  employs  her  time  in  teaching  about  a dozen 
Siamese  boys  the  English  language  and  rudiments  of 
education.  From  this  excellent  couple  I received  every 
hospitality,  and  now,  from  afar,  desire  to  tender  them 
my  most  heartfelt  acknowledgments. 

One  day  when  relating  to  Mr.  Chandler  what  I had 
seen  of  interest  in  Bangkok,  he  said  to  me  : 4 Before 
leaving  Siam  you  should  visit  a large  town  about 
100  miles  south-west  of  here,  called  Pechaburi.  It  is 
a sanitarium  for  both  Europeans  and  natives,  and  the 
King  has  built  himself  a palace  there,  also  some 
temples,  some  good  roads  and  bridges.  You  go 
there,’  continued  my  friend,  ‘ in  a large  barge,  called 
a “ house  ” boat,  rowed  by  six  men,  and  in  which  you 
eat  and  sleep,  carry  your  books  and  papers,  and  at 
your  ease  survey  the  country  and  people  as  you  pass 
along.’  4 It  would  be  a pleasant  and  interesting  ex- 
cursion surely,’  I replied,  4 and,  not  being  pressed  for 
time,  I will  go.  Perhaps  the  Consul’s  son  would  like 
to  take  a rest  from  his  official  duties  and  make  the 
trip  with  me  ; I will  ask  him.’ 

Mr.  Partridge,  upon  consultation,  like  the  redoubt- 


EXCURSION  TO  PECHAJBURI 


135 


able  Barkis,  ‘ was  willin  and  a large  ‘ house  ’ boat 
with  five  rooms,  a cook,  and  table-boy  having  been 
engaged,  we  slipped  away  from  the  Consulate,  rowed 
up  the  beautifully-lighted  Menam  — the  Mother  of 
Waters — and  turned  into  the  canal  leading  westward 
from  about  the  centre  of  the  city  on  the  evening  of 
the  7th  of  January.  Our  beds,  with  the  ubiquitous 
mosquito  nettings  above  them,  had  been  placed  in  the 
comfortable  cabin,  our  clothes  and  provisions  packed 
away  underneath  its  floor,  and  the  cooking  utensils, 
ready  for  use,  were  arranged  in  the  stern  quarter, 
back  of  the  cabin.  About  nine  o’clock  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  we  stopped  for  breakfast  and  to  rest 
our  crew,  who  had  rowed  hard  most  of  the  night ; and 
while  we  foreigners  ate,  the  boatmen  looked  curiously 
on,  and  then  in  turn  when  they  ate  we  gazed,  no 
doubt,  quite  as  curiously  at  them  and  their  strange 
meal.  Siamese  food,  at  least  that  of  the  lower  classes, 
consists  principally  of  dried  (often  putrid)  fish  and 
rice,  which  are  eaten  in  the  form  of  curries,  highly 
seasoned  with  pepper  and  spices.  All  classes  in  Siam 
use  a sauce  called  namphrik,  which  differs  from  the 
Burmese  fish  condiment  ngapee,  in  that  a greater 
variety  of  articles  are  employed  in  its  composition ; it 
also  mixes  with  rice  like  the  Indian  chutnee,  though  it 


136  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


approximates  more  in  appearance  and  flavour  to  this 
paste  than  does  the  Burmese  ngapee.  The  Siamese 
sauce  is  prepared,  when  all  the  desired  ingredients  are 
at  hand,  ‘ by  bruising  a quantity  of  red  pepper  in  a 
mortar,  to  which  are  added  kapi  (paste  of  shrimps  and 
prawns),  black  pepper,  garlic,  and  onions.  These 
being  thoroughly  mixed,  a small  quantity  of  brine  and 
citron-juice  is  added.  Ginger,  tamarinds,  and  gourd 
seeds  are  also  employed.’  That  the  namphrik  is  4 one 
of  the  most  appetite-exciting  condiments  ’ I know  my- 
self by  experience ; it  is  also,  though  very  hot  and 
4 high,’  a savoury  and  toothsome  addition  to  the 
ordinary  curry  of  simple  meat,  rice,  and  gravy. 
People  who  are  rich  of  course  provide  themselves  with 
a variety  of  dainties.  The  Siamese  eat  from  a common 
dish,  with  the  fingers  usually,  though  sometimes  they 
use  small  spoons  made  of  china  or  mother-of-pearl : 
water  or  tea  is  drunk  with  their  meals,  of  which  it  is 
customary  to  have  but  two  in  the  day — the  breakfast 
at  seven  in  the  morning,  and  the  dinner  between  the 
hours  of  five  and  six  in  the  afternoon.  Between  meals, 
during  the  day,  they  chew  the  betel-nut,  and  smoke 
cigarettes  made  of  native-grown  tobacco,  rolled  in 
little  slips  of  palm-leaf.  The  Siamese  sometimes  drink 
strong  spirit  in  the  form  of  arrack  (made  from  boiled 


EXCURSION  TO  PECHABURI 


137 


rice,  molasses,  and  palm  wine),  though  very  rarely,  and 
almost  always  secretly. 

During  the  morning  we  crossed  the  Mahachen  river, 
its  banks  thickly  clad  with  verdure,  and  a canal  which 
was  straight  and  about  thirty  miles  in  length.  The 
country  was  level,  and  at  first  only  covered  with  rank 
grass ; and  we  passed  but  few  villages.  But  afterwards 
the  banks  of  the  canal  were  lined  with  bananas  and 
atap  palms,  and  beyond  were  market  gardens  and 
paddy  fields.  The  capital  is  in  great  part  supplied  by 
the  vegetables  raised  here  ; and  the  renters  of  the  land 
and  the  labourers  are  almost  all  Chinese.  In  the 
afternoon  we  crossed  another  river — the  Haichin — and 
late  in  the  evening  entered  and  rowed  for  a considerable 
distance  down  the  Meklong — a large  and  deep  river — 
and  passed  into  another  canal  and  anchored  for  the 
night.  The  banks  of  the  Meklong  seemed  to  be  thickly 
settled,  and  the  country  in  the  distance  was  undulating 
and  even  hilly.  A town  called  Meklong,  near  the 
mouth  of  this  river,  was  the  birthplace  of  the  famous 
Siamese  Twins.  The  face  of  the  country  improved 
as  regards  trees  and  vegetation  as  we  went  on,  until 
we  entered  the  Pechaburi  river,  which  we  were  in  and 
out  of  half  a dozen  times,  while  cutting  off  long  and 
sinuous  reaches  by  short  cross-canals. 


138  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

At  three  o’clock  we  arrived  at  Pechaburi,  and  having 
anchored  at  the  outskirt  of  the  town,  sent  our  letters 
from  the  Consul  at  Bangkok  to  the  Governor,  request- 
ing the  use  of  a house,  horses,  &c.,  during  our  stay. 
The  reply  of  the  Governor,  coming  at  last,  allotted  us  a 
small  brick  house,  furnished  (P)  with  some  bamboo 
mats,  a table,  and  two  chairs,  upon  the  banks  of  the 
river  : the  lower  storey  or  portion  of  the  building  had 
been  set  apart  for,  and  evidently  been  recently  used 
by,  some  domestic  animals,  such  as  sheep  and  dogs, 
and  perhaps  horses.  In  the  evening  we  took  a long 
walk  through  the  bazaars  and  market  along  a 
macadamised  street  lined  by  substantial  two-storey 
brick  houses.  The  variety  and  quality  of  the  native 
food  exposed  for  sale  in  the  market  quite  astonished 
both  of  us.  The  town  of  Pechaburi,  built  on  both 
banks,  and  twenty  miles  from  the  mouth  of  a river 
bearing  the  same  name,  contains  about  twenty  thousand 
inhabitants ; it  is  about  a hundred  miles  distant  south- 
west from  Bangkok,  and  is  situated  near  the  range  of 
hills  which  divides  the  kingdom  of  Siam  from  the 
Tenasserim  Provinces.  Pechaburi  is  chiefly  noted  as 
a royal  sanitarium.  At  the  back  of  the  town,  on  the 
summit  of  a beautiful  hill,  stands  a large  palace,  built  by 
the  late  Supreme  King.  On  an  adjoining  hill  are  some 


EXCURSION  TO  PECHABURI 


139 


pagodas  and  temples,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  are 
some  Budhist  monasteries,  where  native  youth  are 
gratuitously  educated,  and  near  these  is  a cave  filled 
with  idols.  There  are  some  fine  roads  in  and  about 
Pechaburi,  which  were  also  built  by  the  late  King. 
On  our  return  to  the  boat  we  met  the  Governor  riding 
in  a buggy,  but  he  stopped,  and  we  had  some  conver- 
sation with  him  through  the  interpreter.  The  Governor 
of  Pechaburi  was  a young  man,  not  intellectual  or 
smart-looking ; he  was  dressed  in  a European  shirt  and 
sun-hat  {topee),  with  the  native  panoung , or  cloth, 
which  is  worn  around  the  waist  and  passed  between 
the  legs,  striped  socks,  and  patent-leather  slippers. 
His  servants  laid  abjectly  upon  the  ground,  with  their 
feet  behind  them  (in  Burmese  fashion),  whenever  they 
addressed  His  Excellency.  In  the  buggy  there  was  a 
finely-wrought  gold  xroh,  or  betel-box — an  article  in 
almost  constant  requisition  by  every  Siamese  noble- 
man. 

Two  missionaries  of  the  American  Presbyterian 
Board,  with  their  families,  live  here,  and  they  are  the 
only  foreigners  in  the  town.  Later  in  the  evening  we 
called  upon  the  Eev.  Mr.  MacFarland ; his  confrere , 
who  owns  the  adjoining  house,  was  away  on  a leave 
of  absence  at  the  time.  The  reverend  gentleman 


140  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

— from  Pennsylvania,  U.S. — has  lived  twelve  years  in 
Siam,  and  has  enjoyed  very  good  health,  notwith- 
standing the  trying  climate.  He  speaks  the  Siamese 
and  Laos  dialects  perfectly,  and  thoroughly  understands 
the  people  and  their  country  after  so  long  a residence. 
Mr.  MacFarland  told  me  he  had  made  about  twenty 
converts — that  only  one  had  relapsed  into  his  old  faith 
during  his  ministration.  I remarked  that  I thought 
the  Siamese  seemed  much  more  anxious  to  learn 
English  than  they  were  to  acquire  new  religious  tenets. 
He  assented,  but  doubted  the  value  of  a general 
diffusion  of  the  English  language,  notwithstanding  there 
were  no  scientific,  literary,  or  educational  books  as  yet 
translated  into  the  Siamese  vernacular.  He  thought 
that  the  mission  was  too  young  to  have  expected 
greater  successes — that  the  harvest  truly  was  plenteous, 
but  the  labourers  were  few. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  buildings  in  Pechaburi 
are  those  constituting  the  King’s  palace,  which  is 
situated  upon  a low  hill  near  the  town.  His  Majesty 
and  some  members  of  the  Court  are  accustomed  to 
spend  part  of  every  summer  there.  Riding  across  the 
plain  to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  there  dismounting,  we 
walk  over  a wide  brick-paved  path  to  the  top,  passing 
on  the  way  many  salas,  or  sheds  open  on  the  sides, 


EXCURSION  TO  PECHABURI 


141 


and  used  for  entertainments  of  various  kinds,  foi 
quartering  soldiers,  &c.  One  of  these  sheds  contained 
four  or  five  mounted  twelve-pounder  cannon.  The 
grounds  were  in  a wretched  state,  being  overgrown 
with  weeds,  but  upon  the  annual  visits  of  the  King 
everything  is  put  in  good  order.  The  path  soon  led 
us  up  steep  staircases,  with  massive  stone  balustrades, 
and  by  several  plain  two-storey  brick  buildings  used 
by  His  Majesty’s  friends  and  officers.  Next  we  ap- 
proached the  private  apartments  of  the  King,  with  their 
wide,  paved  terraces  and  surrounding  barracks.  On 
the  very  summit  of  the  hill,  which  is  quite  sharp,  are 
three  buildings — the  royal  audience  hall,  a temple, 
and  an  observatory.  The  audience  hall  is  almost 
entirely  without  ornament.  It  is  a long,  low  room 
about  seventy-five  feet  in  length  by  forty  in  width 
and  twelve  in  height.  The  exterior  walls  are  decorated 
between  the  windows,  with  a poor  representation, 
carved  in  wood,  of  the  flags  of  all  nations  standing 
upon  a globe  — evidently  a recent  addition  to  the 
building.  The  interior  walls  and  ceilings  are  covered 
with  a dingy-brown  paper.  At  one  end  of  the  room 
is  a semicircular  throne,  consisting  of  four  stone  steps, 
and  painted  upon  the  walls  on  either  side  are  some 
excellent  samples  of  Siamese  art.  The  subjects  are,  of 


142 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


the  one,  the  ‘ Reception  of  the  French  Ambassadors 
at  Court,’  and  of  the  other  ‘ Bonzes  worshipping 
Gaudama.’  The  observatory  is  a round  brick  tower 
about  thirty  feet  in  height.  From  its  top  the  country, 
as  far  as  we  could  see,  was  a vast  plain  of  paddy , 
broken  here  and  there  on  every  side  by  small,  thickly 
wooded  hills — luxuriant  islets  in  a waveless  sea  of 
verdure — away  to  the  north  and  west  were  low  ranges 
of  dark-blue  mountains,  and  upon  the  south  shone 
brightly,  in  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  the  tranquil  Gulf 
of  Siam. 

Aftei  a long  ride  we  reached  a large  wat , near 
which,  in  the  side  of  one  of  the  hills,  is  a subterranean 
cavern,  styled  the  ‘ Cave  of  Idols,’  consisting  of  several 
small  chambers  connected  by  narrow  passages.  Light 
is  admitted  through  one  or  two  openings  in  its  ceiling, 
though  the  greater  part  requires  to  be  illuminated  by 
torches.  Judging  from  its  material  and  structure,  we 
thought  the  cave  to  be  of  volcanic  origin.  Its  sides, 
within,  are  lined  with  rows  of  gilt  Budhas,  and  at  the 
end  of  one  of  the  halls  there  is  a huge  reclining  image 
of  the  same  divinity.  The  trees  about  the  mouth  of 
the  cave  were  filled  with  chattering  and  grinning 
monkeys.  At  sight  of  us  they  scampered  from  branch 
to  branch  and  tree  to  tree,  and  then  woidd  sit  still  and 


EXCURSION  TO  TECHABURI 


143 


steadily  observe  us  in  a most  amusing  manner  for  as 
much  as  an  entire  minute  at  a time.  At  the  bottom 
of  the  hill  we  inspected  a temple  in  which  was  an 
immense  reclining  Budha.  This  colossal  image  was 
built  of  brick  and  chunam  (lime),  and  covered  with 
thick  gold-leaf;  it  was  clothed  with  yellow  (the 
priestly  colour)  garments,  and  lay  in  the  ordinary  state 
of  repose,  its  head  upon  the  right  hand  and  resting  on 
a gaily  ornamented  pillow.  I paced  the  length  of  this 
idol,  and  made  it  to  be  135  feet — its  feet  being  seven 
feet  in  width,  ears  ten  feet  in  length,  and  other 
members  of  like  enormous  proportions.  The  object 
the  priests  have  in  view  in  building  such  monstrous 
statues  of  Budha  is  to  impress  and  awe  the  (common) 
people,  and,  besides,  the  larger  the  idol  the  more  merit 
there  will  accrue  to  its  makers. 

A few  miles  from  Pechaburi  is  a Laos  village.  It 
consists  of  only  about  twenty  huts.  These  are  built 
upon  piles  and  made  of  bamboo,  roofed  with  palm 
leaves.  Under  the  floors  are  stables  for  the  domestic 
animals  and  space  for  rubbish  of  all  kinds.  We  en- 
tered the  house  of  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  village 

an  old  man,  wearing  nothing  but  a cotton  panoung 
(waist  cloth).  He  cheerfully  showed  us  his  house, 
which  had  but  two  rooms — a small  one  used  as  a 


144  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


general  sitting-room,  and  a large  one  intended  for 
both  kitchen  and  bed-chamber — and  which  was  the 
home  of  a large  family,  whose  relationships  embraced 
three  generations.  Furniture  there  was  none,  except- 
ing a few  baskets  and  some  large  boxes.  In  the  rear 
of  the  hut,  but  attached  to  it,  was  a large  bin,  made 
of  bamboo  and  plaster,  in  which  was  stored  rice  (their 
‘ staff  of  life,’  or  bread).  The  chief  city  of  the  Laos 
people  in  Northern  Siam  is  Xiengmai,  with  about 
fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  The  Laos  tribes  have  been 
many  times  at  war  with  Siam,  and  have  generally 
proved  themselves  to  be  no  mean  adversaries. 

Pechaburi  is  a very  pretty  place,  and  it  is  justly 
popular  with  Europeans  resident  at  Bangkok  as  a 
summer  resort  for  a change  of  air  or  a little  bit 
of  rustication.  We  left  it,  very  reluctantly,  on  the 
11th,  and  reached  Bangkok  late  on  the  following 


evening. 


THE  SECOND  KING  OF  SIAM,  IN  STATE  ROBES 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 


145 


CHAPTER  XIH. 

AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 

It  had  been  my  earnest  desire  to  obtain  an  audience 

with  the  Supreme  King  of  Siam,  but,  as  His  Majesty 

was  in  Calcutta  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  of  course  the 

wish  could  not  be  gratified  ; still,  I could  hardly 

esteem  myself  less  fortunate  in  being  granted,  through 

the  kind  intervention  of  the  American  Consul,  an 

audience  with  the  Second  King,  H.M.  Krom  Prah 

Racha  Wang  Bowawn  Bawara  Sabtan  Mongkon. 

Siam,  I believe,  is  the  only  country  in  the  world  at 

the  present  day  which  is  ruled  by  two  kings.  The 

position  of  the  Second  King  is,  however,  not  clearly 

understood.  His  office  would  hardly  correspond  with 

our  Vice-President,  nor  is  he  exactly  a co-ruler,  nor 

the  successor  to  the  Supreme  King ; nevertheless  his 

‘ opinion  and  sanction  are  sought  on  important  State 

policy,  and  his  name  is  associated  in  treaties.’  The 

late  Sir  John  Bowring,  a most  excellent  authority,  says 

that  ‘ the  institution  of  a Second  King  is  one  of  the 

13 


146  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

peculiarities  of  the  Siamese  usuages.  He  is  not  charged, 
as  in  the  case  of  Japan  [formerly],  with  the  religious 
as  distinguished  from  the  civil  functions  of  govern- 
ment, but  exercises  a species  of  secondary  or  reflected 
authority,  the  limits  of  which  did  not  appear  to  me  to 
be  clearly  defined.  . . . He  is  said  to  dispose  of  one- 
third  of  the  State  revenue,  and  to  have  at  his  command 
an  army  of  about  2,000  men.  He  is  generally  a 
brother  or  near  relation  of  the  King.  . . . His 
palace  is  nearly  of  the  same  extent  as  that  of  the  First 
King.  . . . He  is  surrounded  with  the  same  royal 
insignia  as  the  First  King,  though  somewhat  less 
ostentatiously  displayed ; and  the  same  marks  of 
honour  and  prostration  are  paid  to  his  person.  He  has 
his  ministers  corresponding  to  those  of  the  First  Kng, 
and  is  supposed  to  take  a more  active  part  in  the  wars 
of  the  country  than  does  the  First  King.  It  is  usual  to 
consult  him  on  all  important  affairs  of  State.  . . . He  is 
expected  to  pay  visits  of  ceremony  to  the  First  King,’ 
&c.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  position  of  the 
Second  King  in  the  government  of  Siam  is  most 
peculiar  and  anomalous. 

On  the  occasion  of  our  visit  His  Majesty  the 
Second  King  intended  to  have  a parade  of  some  of  his 
household  troops,  and  had  invited  the  Austrian  and 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 


147 


German  Consuls  to  accompany  us  to  the  palace  ; Mr. 
Chandler,  the  Private  Secretary,  was  also  to  be  present, 
and  act  as  marshal  and  interpreter.  At  three  o’clock 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  15th  inst.  I repaired  to  the 
U.S.  Consulate,  aud  found  General  Partridge  awaiting 
me,  dressed  in  full  military  uniform,  with  an  elegant 
sword  dangling  by  his  side.  We  then  took  boat — 
with  the  ‘ stars  and  stripes  ’ proudly  floating  at  the 
stern  and  the  Siamese  rowers  in  livery — to  the  house 
of  Mr.  Chandler,  whom  we  found  ready,  in  diplomatic 
dress,  the  brass  buttons  of  his  coat  being  stamped  with 
the  royal  elephant  of  Siam,  and  together  we  walked  to 
the  palace  gate,  where  we  heard  that  the  Austrian  and 
German  Consuls,  with  their  secretaries,  had  preceded 
and  were  awaiting  us  in  the  royal  reception  hall.  The 
guards  presented  arms  as  we  entered  the  lofty  gateway 
and  walked  upon  a brick-laid  path  between  what 
seemed  to  be  the  abodes  of  the  Court  servants  and 
quarters  for  the  troops.  At  the  second  gate  (there  are 
three  walls  about  the  palace)  more  guards  saluted,  and 
we  passed  across  a small  open  square,  surrounded  by 
temples,  salas,  barracks,  and  dwellings,  and  were 
ushered  into  a large  wat , which  is  now  used  as  a 
waiting-room.  Carpets  had  been  spread  upon  the 
floor,  and  around  a small  table  were  sitting  the  German 


148  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


Consul,  Baron , a short  gentleman  in  a captain’s 

uniform  (black,  trimmed  with  red),  wearing  a faded 
order,  and  having  a small  glass  cocked  in  one  eye ; 
and  at  his  side  the  Austrian  Consul,  a Bangkok 
merchant,  in  tasty  diplomatic  dress,  with  white  kid- 
gloves. 

Soon  an  aide-de-camp  entered,  and  announced  that 
His  Majesty  was  quite  ready  to  receive  us.  We  were 
directed  across  the  square  already  mentioned,  past  a 
low  shed,  in  which  was  a European  lire-engine, 
buckets,  axes,  and  other  paraphernalia  for  extin- 
guishing a conflagration ; through  another  gateway, 
with  more  guards  saluting ; by  the  King’s  carriage- 
house,  which  we  noticed  contained  several  handsome 
Calcutta-built  vehicles  ; and  through  a small  but  very 
pretty  garden,  laid  out  in  Chinese  style,  to  the  palace, 
which  consists  of  a number  of  small  two-storey  houses, 
built  according  to  the  rules  (or  rather  vagaries)  of 
Chinese  architecture.  Ascending  a very  narrow 
marble  staircase,  we  were  met  at  its  top  by  the  King 
himself,  who  cordially  shook  hands  with  us  all,  each 
being  introduced  in  turn  by  Mr.  Chandler.  We  were 
ushered  into  a small  parlour,  having  in  the  centre  a 
table,  around  which  we  seated  ourselves  in  comfort- 
able arm-chairs,  the  King  with  us.  The  walls  of  the 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 


149 


room  were  hung  with  Chinese  pictures,  a chandelier 
for  candles  depended  from  the  ceiling,  a Brussels 
carpet  lay  upon  the  floor,  a small  book-rack  stood 
in  one  corner,  a Japanese  lacquered  etui  in  another, 
two  guns  with  cloth  covers  in  another,  and  two 
umbrellas  in  a stand  at  one  side  and  a large  gilt 
spittoon  by  the  table  completed  the  furniture  of  the 
room. 

His  Majesty  is  a fine-looking  man,  with  a large  and 
powerful  though  not  corpulent  body,  and  a large, 
shapely  head,  the  perceptive  and  reflective  faculties 
being  about  equally  well  developed ; his  hair  is  thin 
but  black,  eyes  hazel-brown,  teeth  regular,  but  dis- 
coloured by  the  use  of  the  betel-nut,  his  age  about 
fifty.  In  conversation  the  King  smiles  pleasantly,  and 
impresses  one  as  a man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability, 
energy,  and  tact.  He  was  dressed  very  plainly,  with 
no  orders  or  insignia,  wearing  only  a blue-black 
silk  jacket  with  stand-up  collar  and  steel  buttons ; a 
white  linen  vest,  buttoning  up  close  to  the  neck  ; a 
drab  silk  panoung,  dropping  as  low  as  the  knees  ; and 
a pair  of  cloth  sandals,  of  peculiar  construction,  upon 
his  otherwise  bare  feet.  The  King  understands  English 
pretty  well,  but  is  a little  embarrassed  in  speaking  that 
language  with  strangers.  He  is  well  acquainted  with 


150  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


English  literature,  and  possesses  also  a tolerable  know- 
ledge of  Western  science,  philosophy,  and  pohtics.  His 
Majesty  has  been  named  after  our  great  General  and 
first  President,  for  preceding  half  a dozen  Siamese 
titles,  is  that  of  ‘ George  Washington,’  and  the  King 
previous  to  mounting  the  throne  was  generally  known 
among  the  European  residents  of  Bangkok  as  ‘ Prince 
George.’ 

Coffee  and  tea  were  brought  in  by  three  or  four 
servants,  who  had  been  lying  flat  upon  the  floor  of  the 
verandah,  and  who  crawled  upon  all  fours  into  the 
room  and,  without  lifting  their  eyes,  placed  the  cups 
upon  the  table.  And  the  Kang  offered  us  from  a mag- 
nificent open-work  gold  box  cigars  and  cigarettes  of 
Siamese  manufacture  ; the  latter,  having  wrappers  made 
of  the  lotus  flower,  gave  rise  to  a long  conversation 
about  the  lotus,  and  also  the  Victoria  Regia  lily,  &c. 
Then  the  talk  was  of  birds  of  Paradise  and  phea- 
sants ; and  then  the  King  questioned  me  concerning 
the  King  of  Ava  and  Mandalay.  During  our  call  His 
Majesty  showed  us  some  maps  of  Siam,  drawn  on  a 
very  large  scale  from  recent  Government  surveys, 
and  executed  in  a most  beautiful  manner,  with  the 
pen,  by  Siamese  artists;  the  names  of  towns,  moun- 
tains, and  rivers  were  marked  in  Roman  characters. 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 


151 


After  this,  the  King  intimating  to  Mr.  Chandler  that 
some  of  his  troops  were  ready  to  perform  their  drill 
for  our  amusement,  we  adjourned  to  the  square,  and 
found  there  some  matting  spread  upon  the  ground  and 
a row  of  chairs  for  our  convenience.  His  Majesty 
soon  followed  in  a sedan  chair,  carried  by  eight  bearers, 
with  the  royal  umbrella  suspended  above  his  head,  and 
preceded  and  followed  by  attendants  bearing  gilded 
spears.  He  requested  us  to  be  seated,  and  took  a chair 
upon  the  right,  facing  us.  Immediately  an  attendant 
brought  a small  table,  and  placing  it  by  the  King’s 
side,  put  upon  it  a magnificent  gold-embossed  sword, 
a gold  betel-box,  cigar-box,  and  a tray  with  two  small 
cups  of  perfumed  liquor,  and  at  the  royal  feet  laid  a 
large  gold-plated  spittoon.  We  seated  ourselves  in  a 
line,  the  General  occupying  the  place  of  honour,  and 
the  parade  began  at  once. 

There  were  two  companies  of  troops,  which  marched 
in  quick  time  from  their  barracks.  The  Second  King 
has  two  thousand  soldiers  ; but  these  were  picked  men 
(or  rather  boys,  for  such  they  were),  who  guard  the 
palace  and  its  royal  occupants,  and  of  whose  profi- 
ciency in  military  tactics  His  Majesty  is  especially  proud. 
They  have  had  various  instructors  (drill-masters)  at 
different  times — French,  English,  and  German ; the 


152  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


orders  which  we  heard  were  given  in  broken  Ger- 
man. Their  uniform  of  white  duck  is  patterned  after 
that  worn  by  the  British  troops  in  India  ; they  wear 
also  ( mirabile  dicta !)  shoes  and  socks.  The  companies, 
in  turn,  went  through  the  manual  of  arms,  and  per- 
formed some  skirmishing  in  remarkably  good  style  ; 
the  musket  drill  was  better  than  that  of  many  of 
our  so-called  ‘ crack  ’ regiments  at  home.  After  the 


THE  ROYAE  GUARDS 


parade  His  Majesty’s  own  brass  band  played  for  us. 
There  were  sixteen  instrumentalists,  led  by  a sergeant- 
major,  a mere  youngster  seven  or  eight  years  old  and 
three  feet  in  height ; indeed,  none  of  the  members  of 
the  band  were  more  than  twenty  years  of  age ; their 
uniform  was  the  same  as  that  worn  by  the  guards. 
They  played  in  remarkably  good  time  and  tune,  first 
the  ‘ Siamese  National  Hymn,’  a rather  pretty  composi- 
tion ; and,  second,  a very  familiar  western  waltz. 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 


153 


Afterwards  another  band  of  musicians,  who  were  older, 
but  had  had  less  practice,  were  ordered  out,  and  they 
rendered  a piece  of  dance  music  tolerably  well.  We 
then  took  leave,  shaking  hands  with  the  King,  and 
returned  through  the  same  gateway  we  had  entered, 
the  guards  being  drawn  up  in  line  and  saluting  as  we 
passed. 

One  morning  at  six  o’clock,  a few  days  afterwards,  I 
called,  in  company  with  General  Partridge  and  Mr. 
Chandler,  upon  the  Regent  of  Siam,  our  object  being 
to  obtain  information  concerning  an  overland  route  to 
Saigon,  in  Cochin  China  (an  excursion  proposed  for 
myself),  and  to  procure,  if  possible,  letters  of  introduc- 
tion from  His  Grace  to  the  governors  of  the  several 
provinces  through  which  it  would  be  necessary  to 
journey.  We  were  to  meet  the  high  Siamese  official 
on  board  his  steam  yacht  ‘ Rising  Sun  ’ (400  tons  bur- 
den) according  to  appointment.  Being  upon  the  Menam 
at  such  an  early  hour  of  the  morning,  I was  enabled  to 
see  the  bonzes  going  their  daily  rounds  to  gather  the 
alms  by  which  they  live.  Each  priest  was  seen  sitting 
in  a little  canoe,  having  before  him  a large  iron  pot  and 
one  or  two  bowls,  and  thus  paddling  from  house  to 
house,  receiving  contributions — nowhere  does  Budhism 
hold  so  pure  and  absolute  a sway  as  in  Siam — of  rice, 


154  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

fish,  vegetables,  fruit,  cakes,  &c.,  which  were  dealt  out 
to  them  from  large  brass  urns,  generally  by  women, 
the  priests  never  returning  thanks,  but  paddling  away 
as  if  they  had  conferred  a favour  upon  the  charitable 
donors  instead  of  the  contrary.  I noticed  as  many  as 
a dozen  bonzes  waiting  around  one  house  in  turn. 
It  is  considered  a deed  of  merit  to  give  alms  to  these 
priests,  and  daily  at  sunrise  they  go  the  rounds  of  the 
city.  And  it  is  said  that  no  less  than  ten  thousand  of 
them  are  fed  solely  in  this  manner. 

By  Mr.  Chandler  I was  presented  to  His  Grace  Chow 
Phya  Sri  Sury  Wongse,  the  Regent.  We  were  invited 
to  take  seats  at  a small  table,  covered  with  the  usually- 
seen  gold  betel-boxes,  spittoons,  cigar-boxes,  &c.,  His 
Grace  sitting  at  its  head.  The  Regent  is  a short,  thick- 
set gentleman  about  sixty-five  years  of  age ; he  was 
dressed  in  much  the  same  manner  as  the  Second  King 
on  the  occasion  of  our  recent  audience  with  His 
Majesty.  The  Regent  had  an  intellectual  forehead  and 
bright,  intelligent  eyes,  but  his  mouth  seemed  to  indicate 
a rather  crabbed  and  petulant  disposition,  the  latter 
perhaps  caused  by  his  old  age  and  the  anxieties  of 
a busy  and  responsible  life.  He  wears  his  hair  in 
true  Siamese  fashion,  viz.  a tuft  upon  the  crown  of  the 
head,  the  remainder  being  shaven  about  once  a month 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 


155 


at  a certain  stage  of  the  moon.  While  conversing  with 
us  he  smoked  a small  Chinese  pipe,  and  often  rose  and 
walked  about  the  deck  in  a very  nervous,  fidgety 
manner.  Mr.  Chandler  showed  His  Grace  my  sapphire 


THE  REGENT  OF  SIAM 


ring,  remarking  that  it  was  presented  by  the  present 
reigning  King  of  Ava,  Mounglon ; whereupon  His 
Grace  asked  me  several  questions  (it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  Siam  and  Burma  are  old-time  enemies) 


156  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


about  Mandalay,  the  capital,  and  among  others  ‘ if  the 
King  went  out  much.’  Upon  my  replying  ‘ Never,’  he 
said  (in  English,  the  remainder  of  the  conversation 
being  in  Siamese),  with  a merry  twinkle  of  the  eye,  ‘ He 
fraid  they  shoot  him.’  ‘ No,  your  Grace,’  I replied,  ‘ it 
is  not  that ; King  Mounglon  fears  if  he  ventures  beyond 
his  palace  walls  that  upon  his  return  he  will  very 
likely  find  the  gates  closed  and  barred,  and  perhaps 
hear  that  another  sits  upon  the  royal  throne  instead,’  at 
which  answer  he  laughed  heartily.  The  Regent’s  attend- 
ants were  all  of  them  girls,  and  very  good-looking  gii’ls 
they  were  too  ; they  crept  about  the  deck  and  noiselessly 
executed  any  orders  received  from  them  ‘ august  lord.’ 
Mr.  Chandler  asked  His  Grace  the  best  and  safest 
route  to  the  temples  of  Angkor,  in  eastern  Siam,  and  he 
replied,  ‘ That  by  Kabin,  through  the  forests,  about 
east : ’ the  other  route  being  by  sea  down  the  gulf 
to  Tung  Yai,  and  then  crossing  overland  to  the  ruins. 
The  Regent  told  us  that  the  Governor  of  Kabin,  having 
been  in  town  on  official  business,  had  left  only  that 
very  morning  to  return  to  his  province ; that  he  would 
obtain  for  us  a bullock-cart,  horses,  &c.,  upon  our 
arrival  there;  and  that  he  himself  would  request  the 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  or  his  representative,  to 
furnish  us  with  the  much- desired  and  very  necessary 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 


157 


letters  of  introduction  and  passports,  for  use  on  our  un- 
usual and  somewhat  perilous  excursion.  Touching 
the  tips  of  His  Grace’s  fingers,  we  then  withdrew, 
having  heartily  but  respectfully  thanked  him  for  the 
honour  of  the  interview  and  its  favouring  results. 

The  prominent  position  in  the  government  of  Siam 


MINISTER  OF  FOREIGN  AFFAIRS 


which  Chow  Phya  Sri  Sury  Wongse  has  occupied 
before  the  world  for  the  past  twenty  years  or  more 
prompts  me  to  add  something  further  concerning  this 
rare  and  admirable  statesman.  Ever  since  Sir  John 
Bowring’s  visit  in  1855  the  Regent  has  been  ‘the 
real  ruler  of  Siam  ; ’ his  ability  and  influence  are  most 


158  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

remarkable  and  his  successes  undoubted.  At  the  time 
of  the  negotiation  of  the  treaty  of  friendship  and  com- 
merce between  H.B.M.  and  the  Kings  of  Siam  the 
Regent  was  Phra  Kalahorn , or  Prime  Minister  (his  son 
holds  the  office  at  present),  and  was  one  of  the  four 
commissioners  appointed  by  the  Supreme  King  to 
discuss  and  decide  upon  that  treaty  on  the  part  of  the 
Siamese  Government. 

Sir  John  Bowring  thus  had  much  intercourse  with 
His  Grace,  and  in  his  ‘ Personal  Journal  ’ has  written 
a just  estimate  of  his  many  excellent  qualities.  Says 
Sir  John  in  one  place,  ‘ It  is  quite  a novelty  to  hear 
a minister  abuse  the  administration  of  which  he  is  the 
head.  He  confirms  his  statements  by  facts  ; he  men- 
tioned instances  of  bribery  and  extortion : in  a word, 
his  language  is  of  the  most  high-minded  patriotism.’ 
And  in  another  place  he  writes,  4 The  personal  character 
of  the  Prime  Minister  is  to  me  an  object  of  much 
admiration.  He  is  the  most  distinguished  man  of  the 
greatest  family  in  the  empire.  . . . He  has  again  and 
again  told  me  that  if  my  policy  is  to  save  the  people 
from  oppression  and  the  country  from  monopoly  he 
shall  labour  with  me,  and  if  I succeed  my  name  will 
be  blest  to  all  ages.  He  unveils  abuses  to  me  without 
disguise,  and  often  with  vehement  eloquence.  If  he 


AUDIENCE  WITH  TIIE  KING  OF  SIAM 


159 


prove  true  to  his  profession  [which  he  most  honourably 
did]  he  is  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  enlightened 
patriots  the  Oriental  world  has  ever  seen.  To  him  Siam 
owes  her  fleet  of  merchant  ships.’ 

The  sequel  has  proved  that  this  rather  florid  praise 
was  not  exaggerated,  and  that  the  nobility  of  His 
Grace’s  nature  has  not  been  over-estimated.  During 
the  absence  of  the  Supreme  King  in  Singapore,  Calcutta, 
and  British  India,  and  notwithstanding  the  Second 
King  still  remained  at  Bangkok,  the  vacillating  helm 
of  the  ‘ ship  of  state,’  with  all  its  ‘ tearful  interests,’ 
was  readily  and  confidently  entrusted  for  the  time  to 
His  Grace  Chow  Phya  Sri  Sury  Wongse,  Regent  of 
Siam. 


160  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 

One  day  of  my  stay  at  Bangkok  was  pleasantly  spent 
within  the  palace  walls,  with  Mr.  Chandler  as  my 
obliging  cicerone.  We  went  first  to  see  the  so-called 
‘ white  ’ elephants.  These  are  kept,  fastened  to  stout 
posts,  in  large  sheds,  and  covered  with  gilt  canopies,  in 
the  same  manner  as  the  one  I saw  at  Mandalay,  which 
belonged  to  the  King  of  Ava.  The  first  animal  whose 
stable  we  entered  was  quite  small,  and  possessed  few 
of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  a ‘ dark-cream  albino,’ 
excepting  perhaps  the  eyes.  The  keeper  fed  him  with 
bananas,  and  caused  him  to  make  a salaam  (a  pro- 
found salutation  or  bow)  by  raising  his  proboscis  to 
Ins  forehead  for  a moment  and  then  gracefully  lower- 
ing it  to  the  ground.  In  another  shed  we  saw  a larger 
and  also  whiter  elephant,  its  body  having  the  peculiar 
flesh-coloured  appearance  termed  ‘ white.’  Here  there 
was,  besides,  a white  monkey — ‘ white  animals  are  the 
favourite  abodes  of  transmigrating  souls  ’ — kept  to  ward 
off  bad  spirits,  as  the  attendant  informed  us. 


A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 


161 


Sir  John  Bowring — and  he  is  about  the  only  person 
who  has  written  at  length  on  this  subject — in  a very 
interesting  ‘ Chapter  on  Elephants,’  tells  us  that  the 
Budhists  have  a special  reverence  for  white  quad- 
rupeds; that  he  has  himself  seen  a white  monkey 
honoured  with  special  attention.  Also,  that  white 
elephants  have  been  the  cause  of  many  a war,  and 
their  possession  more  an  object  of  envy  than  the  con- 
quest of  territory  or  the  transitory  glories  of  the  battle- 
field. In  the  money  market  a white  elephant  is 
almost  beyond  price.  Ten  thousand  sovereigns 
(#50,000)  would  hardly  represent  its  pecuniary 
value ; a hair  from  its  tail  is  worth  a Jew’s  ransom. 
‘It  was  my  good  fortune,’ he  says,  ‘to  present  [in  1855] 
to  the  First  King  of  Siam  (the  Siamese  have  two  kings 
exercising  supreme  authority)  presents  with  which  I 
had  been  charged  by  my  royal  mistress.  I received 
many  presents  in  return  ; but  the  monarch  placed  in 
my  hand  a golden  box,  locked  with  a golden  key,  and 
he  informed  me  the  box  contained  a gift  far  more 
valuable  than  all  the  rest,  and  that  was  a few  hairs  of 
the  white  elephant.  And  perhaps  it  may  be  well  to 
state  why  the  white  elephant  is  so  specially  reve- 
renced. 

‘ Because  it  is  believed  that  Budha,  the  divine 

14 


162  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


emanation  from  the  Deity,  must  necessarily,  in  his 
multitudinous  metamorphoses  or  transmissions  through 
all  existences,  and  through  millions  of  aeons,  delight 
to  abide  for  some  time  in  that  grand  incarnation  of 
purity  which  is  represented  by  the  white  elephant. 
While  the  bonzes  teach  that  there  is  no  spot  in  the 
heavens  above,  or  the  earth  below,  or  the  waters  under 
the  earth,  which  is  not  visited  in  the  peregrinations  of 
the  divinity — whose  every  stage  or  step  is  towards 
purification — they  hold  that  his  tarrying  may  be 
longer  in  the  white  elephant  than  in  any  other  abode, 
and  that  in  the  possession  of  the  sacred  creature  they 
may  possess  the  presence  of  Budha  himself.  It  is 
known  that  the  Cingalese  have  been  kept  in  subjection 
by  the  belief  that  their  rulers  have  a tooth  of  Budha  in 
the  temple  of  Kandy,  and  that  on  various  tracts  of  the 
East  impressions  of  the  foot  of  Budha  are  reverenced, 
and  are  the  objects  of  weary  pilgrimages  to  places 
which  can  only  be  reached  with  difficulty ; but  with 
the  white  elephant  some  vague  notions  of  a vital  Budha 
are  associated,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
marvellous  sagacity  of  the  creature  has  served  to 
strengthen  their  religious  prejudices.  Siamese  are 
known  to  whisper  their  secrets  into  an  elephant’s  ear, 
and  to  ask  a solution  of  their  perplexities  by  some  sign 


A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 


163 


or  movement.  And  most  assuredly  there  is  more 
sense  and  reason  in  the  worship  of  an  intelligent  beast 
than  in  that  of  stocks  and  stones,  the  work  of  men’s 
hands. 

‘ And  yet,’  continues  Sir  John,  ‘ after  all  the  white 
elephant  is  not  white , nor  anything  like  it.  It  is  of  a 
coffee  colour  ; not  of  unburnt,  but  of  burnt  coffee — 
dull  brownish  yellow  or  yellowish  brown — white  only 
by  contrast  with  his  darker  brother.  The  last  which 
reached  Bangkok  was  caught  in  the  woods.  The  King 
and  Court  went  a long  way  out  into  the  country  to 
meet  him,  and  he  was  conducted  with  a grand  pro- 
cession, much  pomp,  and  music,  and  flying  banners,  to 
the  capital.  There  a grand  mansion  awaited  him,  and 
several  of  the  leading  nobility  were  appointed  his  cus- 
todians. The  walls  were  painted  to  represent  forests, 
no  doubt  to  remind  him  of  his  native  haunts,  and  to 
console  him  in  his  absence  from  them.  All  his  wants 
were  sedulously  provided  for,  and  in  his  “ walks 
abroad,”  when  “ many  men  he  saw,”  he  was  escorted 
by  music  and  caparisoned  by  costly  vestments.  His 
grandest  and  farthest  promenades  were  to  bathe  in  the 
river,  when  other  elephants  were  in  attendance, 
honoured  by  being  made  auxiliaries  to  his  grandeur. 
How  and  then  the  two  sovereigns  sought  his  presence, 


164  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


but  I did  not  learn  that  his  dignity  condescended  to 
oblige  them  with  any  special  notice.  But  he  wanted 
no  addition  to  his  dignity.  Everything  associated  with 
majesty  and  rank  bore  his  image.  A white  elephant  is 
the  badge  of  distinction.  The  royal  flags  and  seals, 
medals  and  moneys — on  all  sides  the  white  elephant  is 
the  national  emblem,  as  the  cross  among  Christians  or 
the  crescent  among  Turks ; and  the  Siamese  are  prouder 
of  it  than  Americans,  Russians,  Germans,  or  French 
are  of  their  eagles,  or  Spaniards  of  the  golden  fleece. 
The  Bourbon  Oriflamme,  the  British  Union  Jack,  show 
but  faintly  in  the  presence  of  the  white  elephant.’ 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  in  Siam  the 4 white  ’ elephant, 
as  in  the  kingdom  of  Ava,  is  a grave  and  important  ap- 
pendage of  state,  and  that  the  King  of  Siam  lays  quite 
as  just  claim  to  the  coveted  and  pompous  titles  of 
4 Lord  of  the  Celestial  Elephant  ’ and  4 Master  of  Many 
White  Elephants  ’ as  does  His  Majesty  of  Ava. 

In  the  arsenal  of  artillery  were  some  enormous  brass 
cannon,  said  to  have  been  made  under  the  direction  of 
the  Portuguese.  One  of  them  was  full  twenty  feet 
in  length,  mounted  on  a very  clumsy  wooden  carriage ; 
another  must  have  had  a bore  of  eighteen  inches  in 
diameter ; another  was  engraved  with  the  date  1627 
and  a Latin  inscription.  A plain  two-storey  building 


TEMPLE  OF  THE  EMERALD  IDOL 


A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 


165 


within  the  second  wall  had  a sign  over  its  door  which 
read  ‘ Coining  Manufacture  ’ — some  of  the  late  King’s 
droll  English.  We  were  shown  through  this  establish- 
ment— the  Royal  Mint.  The  machinery  is  of  English 
make,  though  none  but  Siamese  workmen  are  em- 
ployed. At  the  time  of  our  visit  the  Mint  was  coining 
silver  ticals  (worth  about  60  cts.)  The  courts  of 
justice  are  simply  large  sheds  with  matted  floors,  like 
those  in  Mandalay.  We  could  not  obtain  admittance 
to  the  Audience  Hall ; it  is  a large,  fantastic-shaped 
building,  with  a lofty  spire  from  its  centre. 

The  Wat  Phza  Keau , or  Temple  of  the  Emerald 
Idol,  is  the  finest  of  its  class  in  Siam.  The  model  is 
similar  to  the  others,  but  the  workmanship,  both  ex- 
teriorly and  interiorly,  is  of  a much  higher  order. 
The  walls  are  covered  with  admirably  executed  paint- 
ings ; the  floor  is  laid  over  with  brass  bricks.  The 
altar,  built  in  the  shape  of  a pyramid,  about  sixty  feet 
high,  is  surmounted  by  the  ‘ Emerald  Idol  ’ — an  image 
twelve  inches  in  height  and  eight  in  width.  ‘ Into  the 
virgin  gold  of  which  its  hair  and  collar  is  composed,’ 
says  a recent  observer,  ‘ must  have  been  stirred,  while 
the  metal  was  yet  molten,  crystals,  topazes,  sapphires, 
rubies,  onyxes,  amethysts,  and  diamonds — the  stones 
crude  and  rudely  cut,  and  blended  in  such  proportions 


166  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

as  might  enhance  to  the  utmost  imaginable  limit  the 
beauty  and  the  cost  of  the  admired  effigy.’  On  the 
altar  there  are  many  large  images  covered  with  pure 
gold,  whose  robes  are  ornamented  with  genuine  pre- 
cious stones ; also  some  lusus  natures,  as  extra- 
ordinarily formed  tusks  of  the  elephant  and  rhinoceros; 
beautifully  carved  marble  statues,  clocks,  golden 
altar-utensils,  and  garments  which  belonged  to  the 
late  King.  The  reigning  monarch  worships  in  this 
temple,  and  here  also  the  nobles  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance.  On  either  side  of  the  principal  entrance 
stand  two  life-size  marble  statues,  whose  history  I could 
not  learn,  of  Peter,  ‘ the  Apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,’  and 
of  Ceres,  the  Roman  goddess  of  agriculture.  Near 
this  zvat  is  a small  pagoda  which,  in  an  enormous 
pyramidal  cabinet  of  ebony  and  mother-of-pearl,  con- 
tains the  Budhist  sacred  books.  A carpet  made  of 
silver  wire  lies  upon  the  floor.  Adjoining  this  is  a 
large  pagoda  which  has  been  ten  years  in  building, 
and  has  already  cost  over  #200,000 ; and  two  years 
more  will  be  necessary  for  its  completion.  The  interior 
side  of  the  wall  which  surrounds  the  Temple  of  the 
Emerald  Idol  is  covered  with  gorgeous  paintings  of 
old  Siamese  fables  and  superstitions. 

The  palace  where  the  Supreme  King  resides  consists 


A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 


167 


of  a large  number  of  odd-looking  houses  crowded 
together  within  the  third  wall.  Very  many  buildings 
could  not  be  shown  us  because  of  the  absence  of  the 
King,  and  some  others  because  they  were  undergoing 
repairs  at  that  time.  An  absurd  custom  prevails, 
which  requires  that  at  the  close  of  each  reign  all  the 
temples  and  most  of  the  palace  buildings  shall  be  torn 
down  and  new  ones  erected  in  their  places,  and  if  the 
buildings  themselves  are  not  removed,  at  least  their 
ornaments  and  other  accessories  are  carried  away.  We 
next  visited  the  temple  Wat  Poh,  outside  the  palace 
walls,  in  which  is  a ‘ reclining  ’ Budha,  145  feet  in 
length,  and  65  in  height  at  the  shoulders.  It  is  built 
of  brick  and  chunam,  thickly  covered  with  leaf  gold. 
The  soles  of  the  feet,  which  are  sixteen  feet  in  length, 
are  covered  with  the  mystic  symbols  peculiar  to  a 
Budha,  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl,  and  finished  with 
gold-leaf. 

The  proposed  overland  excursion  to  the  ruins  at 
Angkor  was  fast  taking  shape,  and  for  four  or  five  days 
I was  busily  engaged  in  making  the  necessary  prepa- 
rations. I had  invited  the  Rev.  Mr.  MacFarland,  of 
Pechaburi,  and  General  Partridge  to  accompany  me, 
and  to  my  delight  both  had  accepted.  We  thought  a 
month  only  would  be  requisite  to  accomplish  the  entire 


168  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

journey  to  Angkor  and  the  return  to  Bangkok.  I 
proposed  to  go  on  alone  to  Panompin,  the  capital  of 
Cambodia,  and  thence  down  the  great  Makong  river 
to  Saigon,  in  Cochin  China ; but  the  official  duties  of 
both  my  companions  would  compel  them,  however 
unwillingly,  to  return  direct  to  Bangkok.  Pirst,  it  was 
necessary  to  provide  ‘ house  ’ boats  for  the  canal  and 
river  travel,  in  which  we  hoped  to  accomplish  one- 
third  of  the  distance ; and  these  the  General  obtained, 
together  with  interpreters,  boatmen,  and  servants.  He 
secured  as  cook  a strong  and  tough  Chinaman  named 
‘ Deng,’  who  spoke  English  pretty  well,  and  who  was 
one  of  the  ‘ boys  ’ whom  M.  Henri  Mouliot,  the  French 
naturalist,  took  with  him  up  to  Louang  Prabang,  a 
town  in  north-eastern  Siam  ; and  who,  with  another 
‘ boy,’  buried  there  the  brave  traveller  (who  died  of 
the  terrible  fever,  1861),  and  returning,  brought  his 
journal  and  letters  to  Bangkok.  In  his  book  of 
‘ Travels  in  Indo  - China,  Cambodia,  and  Laos  ’ M. 
Mouhot  tells  some  amusing  stories  about  the  character 
and  morals  of  this  ‘ Deng ;’  one  of  these  relates  that 
his  attendant  had  a little  defect.  ‘ He  now  and  then 
takes  a drop  too  much,  and  I have  found  him  sucking, 
through  a bamboo  cane,  the  spirit  of  wine  from  one  of 
the  bottles  in  which  I preserve  my  reptiles,  or  laying 


A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 


169 


under  contribution  the  cognac  presented  to  me  by  my 
friend  Malherbes  [a  merchant  at  Bangkok].  A few 
days  ago  he  was  seized  with  this  devouring  thirst,  and 
profiting  by  my  absence  for  only  a few  minutes,  he 
opened  my  chest  and  hastily  laid  hands  on  the  first 
bottle  which  presented  itself,  great  part  of  the  contents 
of  which  he  swallowed  at  one  gulp.  I came  back  just 
as  he  was  wiping  his  mouth  with  his  shirt  sleeve,  and 
it  would  be  impossible  to  describe  his  contortions  and 
grimaces  as  he  screamed  out  that  he  was  poisoned.  He 
had  had  the  bad  luck  to  get  hold  of  my  bottle  of  ink  ; 
his  face  was  smeared  with  it,  and  his  shirt  was  pretty 
well  sprinkled.  It  was  a famous  lesson  for  him,  and 
I think  it  will  be  some  time  before  he  tries  my  stores 
again.’  But  * Deng  ’ was  a capital  cook,  M.  Mouhot 
tells  us,  and  so  we  expected  great  things  of  him ; and 
we  were  not  afterwards  in  any  way  disappointed,  for 
lie  proved  throughout  one  of  our  most  faithful,  hard- 
working, and  obliging  servants. 

A part  of  my  duty  was  to  select  and  purchase  the 
food  supplies — liquors  and  provisions  in  bottles  and 
tins — ale,  brandy,  sherry,  and  claret,  meats,  vege- 
tables, biscuits,  soups,  condiments,  &c. ; and  potatoes, 
rice,  onions,  hams,  coffee  and  tea  in  bulk.  We 
intended  to  rely  principally  upon  these,  though  we 


170  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

also  proposed  to  eke  out  our  preserved,  condensed, 
and  desiccated  victuals  with  the  produce  of  the  country 
through  which  we  would  journey,  viz.  rice,  fish, 
poultry,  eggs,  and  various  fruits.  I used  much  time 
in  endeavouring  to  obtain  a Cambodian  interpreter,  one 
speaking  English,  or  even  Siamese,  who  was  willing 
to  go  with  us,  but  met  with  no  success.  However, 
Mr.  MacFarland’s  servant  was  a Cambodian  by  birth, 
and,  though  he  had  lived  nearly  all  his  life  in  Siam, 
still  remembered  sufficient  of  his  native  tongue  to  be 

of  considerable  service  to  us.  We  took  an  assortment 

% 

of  medicines,  especially  a liberal  supply  of  quinine , 
three  grains  of  which  we  were  recommended  to  take 
every  morning  in  our  coffee  by  Dr.  Hutchinson.  Each 
one  had  his  mattress,  blankets,  and  mosquito  netting, 
though  all  carried  as  little  personal  baggage  as  con- 
sisted with  comfort  and  health.  The  offensive  and 
defensive  (especially)  weapons  of  the  party  compre- 
hended two  revolvers  and  two  or  three  large  bowie- 
knives.  We  also  carried  a few  scientific  instruments  and 
writing  and  drawing  materials,  maps  of  the  country,  a 
selection  of  books  and  old  magazines,  and  I packed  in  my 
waterproof  bag  besides  a few  presents  for  the  King  of 
Cambodia,  Governor  of  Siamrap,  and  some  other  great 
men.  Money  was  carried  in  several  small  packages — 


A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 


171 


silver  and  copper  coins — though  our  letters  were  quite 
adequate  to  secure  for  us  every  hospitality  and  atten- 
tion. These  letters  were  simply  official  orders  from  the 
Siamese  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  to  the  governors 
of  the  provinces  through  which  it  would  be  necessary 
for  us  to  pass:  of  one  of  these,  written  in  the  verna- 
cular idiom,  with  the  great  seal  of  the  Foreign  Office 
attached,  I am  able  to  give  a translation,  verbatim  et 
literatim , prepared  for  me  by  ‘ Henry,’  the  Consulate 
interpreter.  The  passports  were  granted  by  the 

Siamese  Government  on  application  of  General  F.  W. 

# 

Partridge,  as  United  States  Consul.  One  reads  : — 

‘ Chow  Phraya  Pootarupai-metaya-pitayasai-mahattri- 
nayoh-siamdilor-raaha  Senabodi,  the  Samuha-nayok ; To 
Phraya  Utaimontri  Sri-suraraj-bodintr-narintr  Mataya 
Mahaprichi-songkram,  Governor  of  the  Province  of 
Phra-Prachinburi,  Phra  Palat,  the  Lieutenant-Governor, 
and  the  Provincial  Officers  of  the  province  and  depen- 
dencies : 

‘Phraya  Pepat  Hosa,  the  proper  officer  of  the  Foreign 
Department,  has  presented  the  original  letter  of  General 
F.  W.  Partridge,  U.S.  Consul,  stating  that  he,  the  said 
Consul,  is  going  on  a tour  to  see  the  province  of 
Nakon  Siamrap,  on  the  north  of  the  lake  Talesap,  on 
the  borders  of  Cambodia.  General , with  those  who 


172  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

accompany  him,  are  Americans,  three  in  number,  one 
interpreter,  six  Siamese,  and  one  Chinese,  in  all  eleven 

persons.  and  company  will  go  by  land  from 

Pachim  to  Siamrap.  Should and  those  who 

accompany  him  arrive  at  Pachim,  let  the  Governor, 
the  Lieutenant-Governor,  and  the  Provincial  Officers 
receive  them  and  make  such  provision  for  their  wants 

as  becomes  their  rank.  If  when and  his 

company  go  on  to  the  province  of  Siamrap  they  are 
in  want  of  provisions  of  any  kind,  let  the  Governor, 
the  Lieutenant-Governor,  and  the  Provincial  Officers 
of  Pachim  and  its  dependencies  provide  for  them,  and 
give  in  a becoming  manner.  Also,  provide  for  them 
elephants,  carts,  oxen,  and  buffaloes  to  take  them  on 
their  way  thither  through  the  villages  to  the  province 
and  town  of  Siamrap  in  a manner  becoming  their 
honourable  rank,  and  avoid  complaint  from  the 
foreigners. 

‘ Given  on  Thursday,  the  8th  day  of 
the  waxing  moon,  the  3rd  month,  year 
of  the  goat,  3rd  of  the  decade,  and  3rd 
year  of  the  present  reign  ; corresponding 
to  the  18th  of  January,  1872.’ 

This  order — a fine  example  of  Siamese  composition 
and  usage — simply  as  a ‘state  paper’  is  quite  worthy  of 


A DAY  IN  THE  PALACE 


173 


being  filed  for  preservation  with  the  archives  of  our 
department  at  Washington.  At  any  rate,  to  it 
principally  we  were  indebted  for  the  success  of  our 
expedition.  In  Indo-China,  and  in  fact  most  countries 
of  the  East,  the  nations  humbly  reverence  and  honour 
rank  and  authority  and  its  enjoinments ; and  they  will 
readily  find  ways  and  means  of  complying  with  a 
governmental  order  when  the  demands  and  bribes 
or  threats  of  an  unknown,  unrecommended,  private 
traveller  would  avail  nothing.  Upon  the  governors  of 
provinces  remote  from  the  metropolis  and  the  ruling 
monarch  we  were  dependent  for  our  means  of 
transportation — elephants,  horses,  buffaloes,  carts,  and 
servants — and  everywhere  on  our  journey,  when  the 
passport  was  produced,  we  were  received  with 
distinguished  courtesy  and  consideration.  And  for 
such  condescending  favour  and  aid  on  the  part  of  the 
Siamese  Government  it  is  only  permitted  me  here  to 
return  my  most  respectful  thanks  to  the  leading 
authorities — to  His  Grace  the  Eegent  and  the  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  and  also  to  their  subordinate 
officers,  the  governors  of  the  provinces  in  eastern 
Siam — for  the  very  hospitable  manner  in  which  they 
complied  with  their  instructions  from  the  distant 
capital. 


174  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

But  I am  anticipating,  for  we  are  only  now  starting 
on  our  journey.  Everything  is  ready,  however,  and 
so,  on  the  evening  of  the  25th  of  January,  1872,  we 
are  at  last  off.  There  are  three  boats.  In  the  first — 
a four- oar— voyages  the  General  and  his  servant; 
next  follows  a six-oar,  with  the  Missionary  and 
myself ; and  last  goes  a four-oar,  containing  our 
interpreter,  my  ‘ boy,’  ‘ Deng  ’ the  Chinese  cook,  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  provisions  and  baggage. 

The  great  floating  city,  bathed  in  the  pale  moonlight, 
and  at  the  same  time  illumined  with  ten  thousand 
coloured  lanterns,  presents  a strange,  weird  appearance 
as  our  boats  swing  away  from  the  Consulate  wharf, 
with  their  prows  headed  up  the  whirling  Menam  ; the 
native  boatmen  break  out  in  wild,  whimsical,  cadenced 
songs,  keeping  time  to  the  regular,  almost  noiseless  dip 
of  their  oars ; as  we  sail  along  we  hear  the  pariah 
dogs  growling  over  their  midnight  prey,  and  we 
distinguish  also  a few  strains,  a trifle  more  melodious, 
of  the  monotonous  music  of  a Chinese  theatrical 
booth ; and  thus  standing  upon  deck,  with  the  flag  of 
our  so  far  away  country  floating  over  us,  we  wave  a 
hasty  adieu  to  Bangkok — the  eastern  Venice — and  our 
many  kind  friends,  and  turning  away,  enter  a narrow 
canal  leading  directly  to  the  east — towards  the  very 
heart  of  Siam. 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


175 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 

The  boats  were  anchored  about  midnight,  and  in 
the  spacious  cabins  we  slept  soundly  until  morning. 
With  daylight  we  saw  the  canal  was  lined  with  bamboo 
huts,  and  that  passing  us  were  many  boats  on  their 
way  to  Bangkok  with  market  stuffs.  In  the  middle  of 
the  day  we  stopped  for  an  hour  to  allow  the  men  rest 
and  time  for  eating  their  fish  and  rice.  The  canal 
continued  very  narrow  during  the  remainder  of  the 
day  ; its  sides  were  covered  with  a thin  strip  of  cocoa 
palms  and  bamboos,  but  the  country  beyond  was  a 
vast  plain  of  rank  jungle  grass,  with  an  occasional  hut 
in  sight,  or  a small  village  of  a dozen  or  more  dwellings, 
and  always  a cock-pit,  licensed  by,  and  a source  of 
great  revenue  to,  the  Government.  The  huts  were 
very  dilapidated.  A rule  with  the  Siamese  is  never  to 
repair  a building,  but  to  live  in  it  until  it  almost  falls 
upon  their  heads.  The  people  appeared  poor,  and  were 
certainly  shockingly  dirty.  The  mosquitoes  proved 


176  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


very  troublesome,  becoming  towards  evening  almost 
unbearable.  We  noticed  that  all  the  natives  slept 
within  curtains,  and  that  the  huge  buffalo-cows  were 
coralled  in  small  swampy  enclosures,  in  which  they 
wallowed,  covering  themselves  with  mud  and  water  as 
a protection  against  the  stinging  pests.  At  night  we 
entered  the  nettings  we  were  so  careful  not  to  leave 
behind,  but  no  such  thing  as  ‘ balmy  sleep  ’ could  be 
obtained  ; there  seemed  to  be  quite  as  many  mosquitoes 
within  as  without  the  curtains.  They  made  a buzzing 
as  of  a thousand  bees ; the  air  was  literally  thick  and 
heavy  with  them.  The  only  respite  we  had  from  their 
attacks  was-  when  completely  enveloped  in  our 
blankets ; but  this  was  simply  ‘ from  the  frying-pan 
into  the  fire,’  for  the  action  nearly  suffocated  us.  In 
the  morning  the  General  said  he  counted  fifty  of  the 
merciless  insects  which  were  hanging  on  the  inner  side 
of  his  curtains,  in  a semi-torpid  state,  after  the  night’s 
sanguinary  foray  ; and  my  face  was  so  red  and  swollen 
as  scarcely  to  be  recognisable  by  my  companions. 

On  the  morning  of  the  second  day  from  Bangkok 
we  enter  the  Bang  pa  Kong  river,  which  we  propose 
to  ascend  about  fifty  miles  to  Pachim,  the  residence  of 
a governor ; and  then,  if  possible,  we  shall  go  on  by 
water  to  Kabin,  thirty  or  forty  miles  farther.  In  an 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


177 


old  wat  where  we  breakfasted,  thrown  over  a small 
image  of  Budha,  was  a piece  of  yellow  cloth,  about  a 
foot  in  length  and  two  inches  in  width,  upon  which 
was  written  in  Siamese  characters,  ‘ This  cloth  I, 
Nang  Yai,  send  to  my  aunt  Sim ; if  anybody  steals  it, 
may  he  go  to  hell.’  From  which  we  understood  that 
the  cloth  was  consecrated  to  the  memory  of  Nang’s 
transmigrating  aunt,  and  that  he  entertained  pretty 
strong  and  precise  feelings  towards  the  person  who 
should  purloin  the  hallowed  offering.  The  Bang  pa 
Kong  river  is  three  or  four  hundred  feet  in  width,  deep, 
with  strong  tides  and  a very  tortuous  course ; we  did 
not  pass  a straight  reach  as  much  as  an  eighth  of  a mile 
in  length.  In  the  afternoon  we  observed  an  alligator 
about  eight  feet  long,  with  open,  cavernous  mouth  and 
sleepy,  half-closed  eyes,  lying  in  the  tall  grass  on  the 
bank,  enjoying  the  bright  rays  of  the  sun. 

Arrived  at  Pachim,  the  Governor  sent  us  an  invita- 
tion to  pass  the  night  in  a house  which  he  had  prepared 
for  our  reception  (we  had  sent  a messenger  ahead  to 
herald  our  approach),  but  we  preferred  sleeping  on 
board  the  boats.  The  Governor’s  house  we  saw  on  the 
following  morning.  It  is  a large  bamboo  building,  raised 
upon  piles,  and  in  the  long  room,  having  one  side  open, 
His  Excellency  received  our  party.  Before  us  stood  an 


178  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


old  gentleman  of  short  stature,  intelligent  and  amiable 
countenance,  with  grey  hair,  and  teeth  much  blackened 
by  use  of  the  betel.  His  dress  was  a silk  coat  and 
buff  cloth  waistcoat,  with  a simple  panoung,  and  bare 
legs  and  feet ; he  wore  besides  a pair  of  immense  spec- 
tacles. The  room  made  a rather  primitive  ‘ audience 
chamber,’  containing  as  it  did  only  a small  sofa, 
beyond  which  were  some  emblems  of  authority — large 
umbrellas — a bamboo  mat,  chandeliers  hanging  from 
the  beams,  and  two  paroquets  with  rich  plumage  in 
cages  at  either  end ; and  there  were  also  two  clocks, 
both  of  which  insisted  upon  indicating  that  the  hour 
(at  seven  in  the  morning)  was  half-past  one.  Lying 
upon  their  hips,  prostrate  upon  the  floor,  were  a dozen 
or  more  officers  and  attendants.  We  conversed  about 
half  an  hour  with  the  Governor,  through  the  Missionary 
as  interpreter.  He  promised  to  obtain  three  ponies  for 
us,  and  four  bullock-carts  for  our  servants  and  baggage, 
and  at 'taking  leave  he  sent  with  us  a present  of  meat 
and  fish,  asking  what  other  provisions  we  were  de- 
sirous of  receiving.  The  Governor  will  send  orders  in 
advance  to  the  sub -governors  of  the  provinces  between 
Pachim  and  Siamrap,  who  will  have  provisions  and 
conveyance  waiting,  so  that  in  future  we  may  not  be 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


179 


The  town  of  Pachim  lies  upon  level  ground  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Bang  pa  Kong  river,  and  contains, 
scattered  over  a large  extent  of  country,  some  two  or 
three  thousand  inhabitants.  Anchored  before  the  town 
were  about  fifty  boats,  some  of  them  of  large  size,  and 
owned  by  Chinamen ; and  back  of  the  town  the 
Government  authorities  were  building  a citadel  and 
palace,  the  brick  walls  of  which  are  to  be  six  feet  in 
breadth,  and  are  to  enclose  a section  of  land  about 
eight  acres  in  extent.  A saw-mill  and  brick-yard  are 
in  operation,  preparing  the  materials  of  construction ; 
we  visited  the  latter.  The  work  is  mostly  done  by 
women.  The  bricks  are  made  of  clay  and  paddy 
husks,  and  are  burnt : they  sell  for  #2.40  a thousand, 
delivered  in  Bangkok.  At  the  entrance  of  the  new 
citadel  we  saw  a remarkable  natural  gateway,  formed 
by  two  trees  (the  poh  species,  the  sacred  tree  of  the 
Siamese,  being  that  under  which  Budha  is  said  to  have 
expired  when  he  left  this  world),  about  two  feet  in 
diameter  at  their  bases,  joining  and  growing  together 
in  the  form  of  a perfect  arch  twenty  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  towering  up  in  a single  trunk  thirty  feet 
higher,  and  spreading  out  in  grand  masses  of  bright 
green  foliage.  It  seemed  that  formerly  the  gate  of  an 
old  stockade  stood  there,  which  compelled  the  trees  to 


180  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

either  die  or  unite,  and,  owing  to  the  fertility  of  the 
soil  and  their  inherent  vigour,  they  chose  the  latter, 
and  so  are  now  living  united,  like  the  Siamese  twins. 
Near  here  was  also  another  wonder — a lusus  natures 
— two  poh  trees  growing  together,  with  a tamarind 
between  them,  and  a poh  tree,  another  tamarind,  and 
a lofty  and  healthy  toddy-palm  tree  standing  interlaced 
in  one  cluster  or  group.  We  had  an  opportunity  also 
to  witness  the  native  method  of  grinding  paddy — 
hulhng  the  grain — in  a low  bamboo  shed.  The  mill 
consisted  of  two  parts,  of  course,  but,  instead  of  the 
usual  coarse  stones,  they  were  made  of  thin  slabs  of 
hard  wood  embedded  in  mud  and  surrounded  by 
wicker-work.  The  motive  power  was  a man  and  a 
woman,  who  worked  this  primitive  machine  by  means 
of  a long  pole  and  a cross-piece  of  bamboo  at  one  end, 
with  the  other  fastened  in  a loose  socket  to  the  upper 
mill-stone  (or  rather  mud  and  wood  basket),  it  being 
the  same  principle  as  that  applied  to  our  grindstone. 
In  the  morning  there  came  as  a present  from  the 
Governor  two  kinds  of  dried  fish,  some  eggs,  oranges, 
and  cocoa-nuts,  and  in  the  evening  a dozen  of  fowls. 

We  arose  at  dayhght  on  the  29th  of  January, 
removed  our  baggage  from  the  boats,  and  sent  them 
back  to  Bangkok,  as  from  this  point  we  were  to  travel 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


181 


by  land.  We  retained  of  the  servants  the  Chinese 
cook,  Chinese  butler  or  table-boy,  and  two  Siamese 
‘ boys  ’ — personal  attendants.  Our  horses  and  carts 
and  bullocks — three  of  the  former  and  eight  of  the 
latter — with  their  grooms  and  drivers,  came  about 
noon.  The  horses,  or  rather  ponies,  were  so  small  and 
thin  that  we  greatly  feared  their  ability  to  bear  us. 
The  General  had  brought  his  own  saddle  and  bridle 
from  the  Consulate,  but  the  Missionary  and  myself 
were  to  use  native  seats  and  head-stalls.  The  Siamese 
simply  ride  upon  a cushion  placed  upon  the  horse’s 
back,  and  held  in  position  by  the  rider’s  knees  and 
legs,  without  stirrups,  and  with  a most  primitive 
bridle,  made  usually  of  coarse  twine.  Natives  on  a 
journey  are  accustomed  to  alternately  run  at  full  speed 
and  walk  their  horses,  until  the  little  beasts,  warmed 
into  a profuse  white  lather,  almost  drop  from  fatigue. 
The  bullocks  are  black,  very  large  and  powerful ; they 
are  driven,  with  a line  passed  through  the  nostrils,  as 
we  direct  horses.  Most  singular  in  appearance  are  the 
native  carts.  The  body  is  built  of  a light  but  strong 
wood,  the  sides  being  of  bamboo ; it  is  usually  about 
six  feet  in  length,  one  or  two  feet  in  width  at  the 
bottom,  and  thrice  as  much  at  its  top,  which  is  a 
bamboo  roof,  projecting  far  beyond  the  body  of  the 


182  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

cart  at  the  front  end,  where  sits  the  driver,  thus 
protected  from  the  sun.  The  wheels  are  of  solid 
wood,  and  about  five  feet  in  diameter ; they  turn  upon 
small  wooden  axles.  The  Governor  sent  us  a final 
present  of  sugar,  cucumbers,  and  fried  cakes,  and 
nearly  the  entire  town  assembled  to  see  us  depart. 

The  road  at  first  led  over  an  even  plain,  for  the 
most  part  covered  with  coarse  grass,  and  in  the 
distance  were  forests  and  a low  range  of  blue 
mountains.  Some  paddy  was  cultivated  by  the  road- 
side, but  few  dwellings,  however,  were  seen.  We  on 
horseback  travelled  at  the  rate  of  three  miles  an  hour, 
and  the  carts  followed  at  about  a mile  per  hour  less. 
Having  crossed  the  Bang  pa  Kong  river,  we  shortly 
afterwards  entered  the  village  of  Chantakan,  distant 
fifteen  miles  from  Pachim,  and  of  about  the  same 
size — and  were  escorted  by  some  of  the  people  with 
torches  to  the  residence  of  the  Deputy-Governor. 
Instructions  from  the  Governor  of  Pachim  had  pre- 
ceded us,  and  this  official  had  prepared  for  our  use 
two  newly  built  salas , where,  after  we  were 
comfortably  settled,  he  sent  us  a ready-cooked 
(Siamese)  dinner.  As  our  provisions  had  not  yet 
arrived,  we  were  glad  as  well  as  curious  to  partake  of 
the  native  food.  It  was  served  upon  three  little 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


183 


wooden  stands,  half  a dozen  bowls  upon  each  ; there 
was  neither  knife,  fork,  nor  spoon : Siamese  eat  with 
their  fingers,  and  so  did  we.  There  was  set  before 
us  fish  cooked  in  five  different  styles,  boiled  rice,  salad, 
and  condiments,  including,  of  course,  namphrik,  which, 
however,  was  made  in  a new  way,  mixed  with  fish  oil 
and  some  other  articles  not  very  inviting  to  American 
palates;  water  for  drinking  was  brought  in  large  brass 
bowls.  Before  we  had  quite  finished  the  repast  three 
spoons  were  brought  us — one  of  iron,  another  of 
porcelain,  and  another  of  mother-of-pearl,  the  latter 
being  a clear,  silvery  shell,  and  handsomely  cut.  I 
induced  its  owner  to  part  with  it  for  a lead  pencil  and 
two  or  three  sheets  of  note-paper. 

We  were  off  at  daylight  in  the  morning,  and  now 
travelled  over  a good  but  very  dusty  road — dusty  at 
that  particular  time  of  year,  and  very  preferable  to 
the  floods  of  water,  which  bring  fevers  and  breed 
mosquitoes — and  halted  at  noon,  having  accomplished 
about  twelve  miles.  There  were  a goodly  number  of 
tall  trees  to  be  seen  this  day ; especially  interesting 
was  a species  from  which  the  natives  obtain  a lubri- 
cating oil.  Great  fields  of  paddy  stalks  lay  near  the 
road ; a little  farther  off  was  the  dense  forest,  and  a 
range  of  hills,  just  discernible,  ran  away  to  the  north- 


184  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

ward.  We  saw  the  prairie-grass  and  woods  burning 
in  many  places,  and  everywhere  there  were  blackened 
and  charred  remains  of  recent  fires,  which  the  natives 
say  are  accidentally  started  or  produced,  perhaps  by  a 
match  or  a discarded  cigar  stump.  They  burn  for 
months  at  a time,  sometimes  quietly  simmering  at  the 
foot  of  an  old  tree,  from  which  a sudden  strong  wind 
will  scatter  sparks  into  some  dry  vegetable  matter, 
which  of  course  will  at  once  blaze  up,  and  so  the  fire 
will  spread  and  travel  over  immense  districts  of 
country.  The  villages  we  passed  were  all  small — six 
or  a dozen  houses — with  long  distances  between 
them ; everything  about  the  dwellings  and  people 
betokened  great  and  general  poverty ; still  the  latter 
seemed  nearly  as  happy  and  contented  as  they  were 
dirty  and  curious. 

Kabin  we  found  to  be  a Laos  town  of  about  a 
thousand  inhabitants.  The  Governor  was  absent 
when  we  arrived,  but  a subordinate  made  us  comfort- 
able in  the  public  sala,  while  notice  was  sent  to  His 
Excellency  of  the  arrival  of  the  ‘ farangs  ’ (foreigners). 
Our  room  was  enclosed  by  fastening  straw  matting 
along  its  sides  ; water  for  bathing  purposes  was  brought 
in  large  jars ; then  appeared  servants  bringing  torches, 
fowls,  eggs,  and  rice ; and  soon  afterwards  a dinner, 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


185 


served  in  true  native  style,  consisting  of  ten  little  tables 
or  stands,  which  held  altogether  some  forty  dishes  of 
food.  This  latter  civility  we  declined,  and  with  the 
officer’s  permission  gave  the  dinner  to  our  servants : 
there  was  sufficient  for  all,  and  they  exceedingly 
enjoyed  what  was  to  them,  we  doubted  not,  a most 
royal  feast.  In  the  evening  the  Governor  called, 
an  ‘ oldish  ’ gentleman,  with  a pleasing  face  and 
engaging  manners,  dressed  in  a blue  silk  panoung  and 
red  and  grey  silk  jacket,  his  head  and  feet  being  of 
course  bare.  He  answered  the  missionary’s  questions 
and  also  our  own  so  quickly  and  decidedly  as  to  prove 
a most  thorough  acquaintance  with  his  special  province. 
He  told  us  that  the  gold  mine  near  there,  worked 
entirely  by  Siamese,  was  paying  pretty  well  at  the 
time ; and  he  showed  us  some  of  the  gold,  which  had 
been  manufactured  into  little  filigree-work  boxes,  for 
holding  tobacco.  Their  workmanship  was  rude,  but 
the  gold  is  said  to  be  the  most  ductile  in  the  world ; 
its  colour  is  a dark,  dull  yellow,  and  it  appears  very 
soft.  We  informed  the  Governor  that  we  wished  to 
proceed  on  our  journey  at  daylight,  and  he  promised 
that  we  should  have  ponies  and  bullock-carts  and  that 
he  would  give  us  a letter  to  another  Governor  at  the 
next  town,  some  twenty-five  miles  distant.  We  were 


186  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


not  expected  to  make  any  return  or  present  to  the 
servants  we  employed  on  the  road  ; still  we  thought  it 
right  to  award  them  something  when  faithful,  and  so 
we  paid  for  the  use  of  our  animals  and  their  drivers 
and  attendants  at  the  rate  of  half  a tical  each  per 
diem.  We  entered  this  day  upon  the  ‘grand  military 
road  ’ built  by  the  Siamese  some  thirty-five  or  forty 
years  since  for  the  easier  transport  of  troops  to  the 
remote  districts  of  their  kingdom — parts  of  Cambodia 
and  Cochin  China,  then  recently  annexed.  The  road 
was  in  such  excellent  condition,  the  General  remarked, 
that  over  it  might  easily  be  drawn  the  heaviest 
artillery. 

The  Siamese  have  quite  as  vague  and  amusing 
impressions  of  distance  as  the  Hindoos.  We  asked  a 
traveller  whom  we  met  on  the  road  a few  days  ago ‘how 
far  it  was  to  the  nearest  well,’  and  received  for  reply, 
‘ About  as  far  as  a dog  can  bark  ’ (i.e.  one  could  hear 
the  animal).  And  again  this  morning  we  heard  another 
ludicrous  expression  of  distance ; a town  was  ‘ as  far 
as  a cock  could  crow,’  and  we  found  it  to  be  nearly 
half  a mile — rather  a far-fetched  crow.  In  India  once, 
when  travelling  on  horseback  in  the  Himalayas  near 
the  borders  of  Tibet,  I chanced  to  pass  eight  several 
Hindoos  on  the  road,  and  enquiring  of  each  the 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


187 


distance  to  a particular  town,  no  two  answered  me 
with  the  same  number  of  Jcoss,  or  miles  (about  two 
English),  or  else  sometimes,  when  asking  a similar 
question,  I would  receive  for  reply,  ‘Just  a little  before 
you’  (Tora  age  hcii),  or  else,  ‘Go  straight  forwards’ 
(Seedha  age  chule  jao),  whether  my  destination  was  one 
or  twenty  miles  distant,  or  there  were  a dozen  turns 
or  intersecting  ways. 

We  next  entered  a region  of  very  dense  forest, 
through  which  the  road  was  evenly  cut,  the  branches 
of  the  trees  joining  just  above  our  heads  and  making  a 
complete  shade  Some  trees  which  we  saw  were  over 
200  feet  in  height  and  three  feet  in  diameter ; they 
were  very  straight,  and  did  not  branch  until  far  above 
the  ground.  It  is,  however,  not  the  best  time  of  year 
to  see  the  forests  in  their  virgin  splendour — the  rainy 
season  favours  vegetation  more — the  trees  now  have 
rather  too  scanty  foliage,  too  many  ugly  dead  limbs, 
too  many  leaves,  half  green  and  half  yellow.  Tigers, 
wild  elephants,  and  other  ferocious  animals  abound 
hereabouts,  and  our  guides  told  us  it  would  not  be 
safe  to  travel  at  night ; even  during  the  day  we  carried 
loaded  revolvers,  and  each  of  our  ‘ boys  ’ had  large 
knives  or  two-edged  daggers  attached  to  cords  and  worn 
around  their  necks.  On  the  march  we  distinguished 


188  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


the  tracks  of  elephants  and  panthers,  and  at  night 
listened  to  the  howls  of  jackals  prowling  around  our 
camp.  The  screams  of  monkeys,  though  we  did  not 
often  see  the  wary  little  animals,  the  notes  of  peacocks, 
quails,  parrots,  and  many  unknown  birds  were  also 
heard.  One  day,  as  we  were  quietly  jogging  along, 
we  observed  two  immense  birds  standing  together 
upon  the  grassy  plain ; they  appeared  to  be  of  the 
adjutant  species,  with  a long  bill,  black  neck,  broad 
white  stripe  round  the  body,  black  tail,  and  very  long 
red  legs,  and  were  about  four  feet  in  height.  As  we 
journeyed  on  we  also  saw  great  turkey-buzzards,  and 
occasionally  a herd  of  red  deer.  It  is  customary  with 
the  natives  to  ensnare  the  latter  by  driving  them  into 
narrow  enclosures,  in  which  strong  nets  have  been 
spread.  It  was  our  practice  to  walk  as  much  as  eight 
miles  every  day,  the  remainder  being  accomplished  on 
horseback ; and  the  sun  being  excessively  hot,  at  noon 
and  night  we  were,  of  course,  much  exhausted.  At 
such  times  two  or  three  grains  of  quinine  soon  wrought 
a happy  change  in  our  feelings.  Quinine  taken  as  a 
precaution,  or  an  (almost)  preventer  of  fever,  is  an 
invaluable  medicine  everywhere  in  the  tropics.  It  is 
a powerful  tonic,  and  if  used  in  moderation  it 
strengthens  and  builds  up  the  system,  leaving  no  un- 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


189 


pleasant  effects,  no  depressing  reaction  ; besides,  a large 
quantity  may  be  carried  in  small  bulk,  and  with  the 
addition  of  a little  water,  or  even  taken  dry,  it  is 
always  in  readiness  for  immediate  use. 

On  the  1st  of  February  we  passed  the  boundaries  of 
ancient  Cambodia.  The  Siamese  have  at  different 
times  appropriated  so  much  of  this  territory  that  from 
being  one  of  the  largest  of  the  Indo-Chinese  countries 
it  has  become  the  smallest.  The  Annamites  also,  and 
latterly  the  French,  have  encroached  upon  its  eastern 
and  southern  borders,  and  ‘ between  two  fires  ’ — avoid- 
ing Scylla,  falling  upon  Charybdis — the  old  kingdom 
of  Khamen,  or  Kamboja,  has  suffered  both  much  and 
long. 

Our  daily  routine  of  marching  and  camping  is  quite 
simple.  We  rarely  accomplish  more  than  twenty  miles 
a day,  and  at  night  sleep  under  a large  tree,  with  naught 
but  the  blue,  star-studded  canopy  of  heaven  above 
us.  At  a night  bivouac  each  of  our  attendants  has  his 
especial  duty.  The  baggage  and  provision  carts  are 
usually  two  or  three  hours  behind  us,  as  we  make  about 
an  hour  more  than  they  do  on  the  road.  If  we  are  so 
fortunate  as  to  obtain  an  old  sala  for  the  night,  the 
carts  are  driven  to  its  side,  and  the  drivers  at  once 
unyoke  the  oxen  and  lead  them  off  to  graze  at  the 


190  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


edge  of  tlie  forest.  Our  butler  and  one  of  the  ‘ boys  ’ 
then  remove  from  the  carts  our  respective  mattresses, 
which  are  placed  upon  the  sala  floor  side  by  side ; our 
books,  writing  materials,  and  personal  baggage  most 
in  request  soon  follow.  { Deng,’  the  Chinese  cook, 
assisted  by  ‘ Tab,’  one  of  the  Siamese  ‘ boys,’  builds 
the  fire  and  begins  to  prepare  the  dinners.  The  fire- 
places are  rather  ingeniously  made.  Two  holes  are 
dug  near  each  other  in  the  hard  clay  and  united 
underneath  the  surface ; the  one  is  round,  larger  below 
than  above,  in  fact — its  mouth  will  just  receive  a kettle 
or  saucepan — the  other  is  bored  in  an  oblong  direction, 
sloping  up  to  the  surface.  This  is  the  ‘ draught,’  and 
through  this  aperture  the  fire  is  fed  with  light,  dry 
fuel.  ‘ Imm,’  the  Chinese  butler,  soon  has  our  table 
‘ set,’  i.e.  the  plates  and  dishes  are  placed  on  a large 
bamboo  mat  upon  the  floor,  and  before  long  the  meal 
itself  is  thus  announced  : ‘ Master,  master,  dinny  have 
got  leady.’  But  prior  to  this  our  dusty  travelling  clothes 
have  been  removed,  we  have  bathed,  and  dressed  in 
clean  and  cool  baju  and  pyjamas  (loose  jacket  and 
drawers  of  thin  silk  or  linen),  and  we  now  recline  at 
length  upon  our  beds,  much  after  the  manner  of  the 
ancient  Romans  at  their  symposia , — and  partake  of 
the  frugal  repast.  Our  larder  is  modest  but  sufficient, 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


191 


for  besides  tinned  provisions  and  a variety  of  liquors 
we  obtain  such  fresh  food  as  eggs,  rice,  fish,  poultry, 
and  fruit  by  official  levies  upon  the  country  people. 

On  our  menu  there  will  often  be,  as  a starter  (or 
‘ preliminary  canter,’  as  an  Englishman  rendered  the 
Parisian  hors  d’ oeuvre  of  breakfast),  oyster  soup,  the 
oysters  bond  fide ; next  roast  beef,  green  peas,  and 
potatoes  for  the  substantiate ; egg  curry  and  rice  with 
preserved  tamarinds  will  do  duty  as  entremets ; stewed 
pippins,  dried  figs,  and  bread  and  butter  serve  for 
dessert ; and  as  beverages — on  the  wine  list — we  have 
sherry- wine,  beer,  claret,  and  brandy ; and  then,  as  a fit 
conclusion  of  the  whole  matter,  cafe  noir.  After  dinner 
there  is  a general  talk  of  the  day’s  travel,  or  else  some 
one  reads  a few  pages  of  Mark  Twain,  or  Artemus  Ward, 
or  Dr.  Holmes,  and  then,  after  a look  at  the  animate, 
we  go  ‘ to  roost  ’ — literally , for  the  partial  flooring  of 
the  sala  is  four  or  five  feet  above  the  ground — usually 
by  nine  o’clock,  for  we  need  rest,  and  prefer  to  begin  our 
march  by  daylight,  and  thus  employ  the  coolest  part 
of  the  day.  The  ‘ boys  ’ build  large  fires  on  every  side 
of  the  sala  to  frighten  away  wild  animate,  to  keep 
themselves  warm  (for  the  nights  are  cold  in  comparison 
with  the  days),  also  to  provide  fight  and  guard  against 

thieves,  and  to  drive  off  mosquitoes  by  the  smoke. 

16 


192  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


Watchmen  are  appointed,  each  ‘boy’  in  turn,  to 
protect  the  oxen  and  ponies.  Our  attendants  sleep 
upon  the  bare  ground,  with  their  entire  persons 
enveloped  with  blankets  or  coarse  sheets,  to  shield 
themselves  from  mosquitoes  or  any  poisonous  insects. 
If  there  is  no  sala  at  hand,  a circle  is  made  of  our 
carts  (about  which  the  men  sleep)  around  a large  tree, 
under  which  we  sleep,  and  then  with  an  outer  cordon 
of  fire  we  consider  ourselves  pretty  safe.  In  the 
mornings,  while  the  General  is  marshalling  the  caravan, 
and  the  Missionary  is  recording,  in  a blank-book,  his 
impressions  of  life  and  adventure  in  the  interior  of 
Siam,  there  is  usually  opportunity  to  use  the  pencil ; 
and,  seated  upon  the  ground,  with  a drawing-book  in 
hand,  I make  rough  sketches  of  the  country,  people, 
and  their  characteristics  — now  an  image  of  Budha, 
then  a wat,  a Cambodian  nobleman,  or  a particularly 
romantic  camp,  a cart,  an  elephant,  or  perhaps  a sala — 
where  no  photographer  or  artist  has  been  before  me. 

Passing  slowly  through  an  immense  plain  of  grass  six 
feet  in  height,  with  large  burned  tracts  here  and  there, 
we  approached  the  town  of  Sesupon.  Around  the  bases 
of  some  large  trees,  usually  a group  of  three  or  four, 
we  saw  hillocks  ten  feet  in  height  and  eighty  feet  in 
circumference,  the  habitations  of  a species  of  white  ant. 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


193 


These  are  built  so  large  and  high  in  order  to  avoid  the 
effects — floods — of  the  annual  rain,  as  in  some  parts 
of  tropical  America  a species  of  black  ant  builds  large 
nests — roundish,  of  light  earth  and  plastered  smooth — 
on  trees  for  the  same  purpose.  The  Governor  of 
Sesupon  was  very  demonstrative  in  his  wishes  to  be  of 
all  possible  service  to  us.  He  provided  for  our  use 
three  elephants  and  three  buffalo  and  one  bullock  cart. 
He  sent  us  presents  also  of  fresh  pork,  onions,  rice, 
eggs,  sugar,  and  some  very  nice  vermicelli  made  from 
rice  flour.  During  our  first  interview  His  Excellency 
smoked  three  cigars  and  drank  a dozen  little  cups  of 
tea,  but  declined  some  brandy  which  we  proffered,  say- 
ing he  was  not  accustomed  to  its  use.  Europeans  very 
seldom  visit  this  part  of  Siam,  and  we  were,  therefore, 
objects  of  great  curiosity  to  the  natives,  who  crowded 
in  upon  all  sides  of  our  sala  to  view  the  4 farangs.’  In 
the  Governor’s  garden  were  some  green  stuffs,  such  as 
onions,  cabbages,  salads,  &c.,  and  all  about  we  could 
see  evidences  of  the  great  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  that 
the  natives  were  too  lazy  to  cultivate  anything  more 
than  the  bare  necessities  of  life,  and  selected  even  of 
them  those  which  required  the  least  possible  exertion  for 
a return.  There  were  in  Sesupon  some  excellent  fat 
pigs,  and  also  some  very  sleek-looking  cattle.  European 


194  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

or  American  settlers  might  do  well  in  many  parts  of 
the  country,  were  it  not  for  the  hot  climate  and  the 
malignant  fevers  which  are  so  prevalent  during  a great 
part  of  the  year. 

The  elephants  we  obtained  at  this  town  were  rather 
smaller  than  the  average  of  those  seen  in  India.  The 
Siamese  howdah,  or  elephant  saddle,  also  differs  from 
that  used  by  the  Hindoos.  It  is  simply  an  oblong- 
wooden  box  (five  feet  in  length,  two  and  a half  in 
width,  and  one  foot  in  depth),  which  fits  snugly  to  the 
elephant’s  back  ; it  has  a circular  bamboo  top  or  cover, 
five  or  six  feet  in  height,  which  rises  from  the  two 
ends,  and  has  curtains  provided  for  both  the  front  and 
rear  sides.  Under  it  upon  the  monster’s  back  are 
placed,  first,  a thick  sheet  of  soft  bark,  and  then  three 
or  four  pieces  of  stiff  raw  hide,  and  the  saddle  is  secured 
by  a rattan  rope,  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  passed 
under  the  belly,  by  a rope  crupper  to  the  tail,  and 
forwards  by  ropes  round  the  ammal’s  massive  neck. 
The  mahout,  or  driver,  sits  of  course  upon  the  neck,  his 
feet  and  legs  placed  against  the  ears,  by  which  in  great 
part  he  guides  the  beast ; though  the  Siamese  elephant 
is  accustomed  to  no  words  of  command — ‘ to  the  risht  ’ 
or  left,  ‘ advance,’  4 stop,’  &c. — nor  to  kneel  when  about 
to  be  mounted,  as  in  India.  In  riding  one  may  either  sit 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


195 


cross-legged  upon  soft  cushions  or  rest  as  in  a chair, 
placing  the  feet  upon  the  animal’s  neck.  In  some  parts 
of  Siam  a young  elephant  may  be  purchased  for  as  little 
as  twenty  ticals  (about  $12).  The  animals  which  wehad 


SIAMESE  "WAR  ELEPHANT 


from  time  to  time  travelled  two,  or  two  and  a half  miles 
an  hour,  but  they  could  not  make  more  than  twenty 
miles  a day,  nor  could  they  carry  more  than  four 
hundred  pounds’  weight  upon  their  backs. 

One  day,  near  a lake  where  we  had  been  resting 


196  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

during  the  great  heat  of  noon,  the  Missionary  dis- 
covered some  interesting  ruins — large  blocks  of  a grey 
stone,  with  basso-relievo  carving  upon  them.  We  had 
met  with  many  Cambodians  during  the  past  week : 
their  appearance  is  very  like  that  of  the  Siamese ; their 
houses  are  similar  in  construction  ; they  worship  the 
same  Budha ; their  manners  and  customs  are  identical ; 
their  laws  have  the  same  tenor  ; but  their  languages  are 
very  dissimilar.  We  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
some  natives  fishing  in  a small  river  near  the  town  of 
Panoum-sok.  While  we  were  resting  in  the  sala  after 
tiffin,  some  two  hundred  men,  women,  and  children 
came  out  from  their  huts  and  entered  the  river — here 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  width  and  from  two 
to  sis  feet  in  depth — together,  and  while  some  drew 
nets,  the  majority  used  a sort  of  trap,  made  of  bam- 
boo, three  feet  in  length,  open  at  one  end  the  entire 
diameter  (about  a foot)  and  closed  at  the  other,  ex- 
cepting a hole  in  the  centre  of  sufficient  size  to  receive 
the  arm.  This  trap  was  quickly  thrust  down  to  the 
bed  of  the  river,  and  the  number  and  size  of  the  fish 
ensnared  by  such  simple  means  was  a source  of  much 
astonishment  to  us  all ; many  of  them  would  weigh 
three  pounds. 

At  Panoum-sok  we  were  housed  in  a most  excellent 


SIAMESE  GENTLEMAN  AND  LADY 


ACROSS  SOUTHERN  SIAM 


197 


sala,  and  everything  was  done  for  our  comfort  by  an 
under-governor.  While  we  were  at  dinner  there  came 
an  imposing  procession  of  fourteen  men,  women,  and 
children,  walking  in  single  file,  headed  by  two  of  the 
chief  men  of  the  town,  and  bringing  in  their  hands 
and  on  their  heads  presents  of  food  in  almost  endless 
variety ; there  was  rice,  two  kinds  of  dried  fish,  pork, 
eggs  (fresh),  salted  eggs  (prepared  in  native  style), 
bananas,  (Siamese)  cooked  dinners,  and  one  little  table 
which  had  upon  it  five  different  kinds  of  cakes  and 
sweets ; some  of  these  latter  we  ate  after  dinner,  and 
found  them  quite  palatable.  These  good  (except  the 
salted  eggs — ugh !)  things  were  sent  us  by  the  Governor’s 
wife,  His  Excellency  being  absent  on  a journey  to 
Korat  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  at  the  cremation 
ceremonies  of  his  dead  nephew. 

The  Governor’s  wife  intended  herself  to  leave  in  the 
morning  for  Siamrap  to  attend  the  marriage  of  her 
cousin  there,  and  she  very  courteously  invited  us  to 
join  her  party.  But  upon  learning  that  it  was  her  in- 
tention to  travel  slowly,  we  were  obliged  to  decline  her 
invitation,  for  we  had  already  been  too  much  delayed 
upon  the  road.  After  dinner  came  four  more  presents 
of  food,  making  twenty-two  in  all : we  appropriated 
some  delicacies  for  our  own  use,  but  gave  the  greater 


198  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

part  to  our  attendants,  who,  it  is  almost  needless  to 
add,  lived  extremely  well,  or  ‘ high,’  according  to  their 
own  dietetic  philosophy,  during  the  entire  journey  from 
Bangkok. 


SIAMRAP 


199 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

SIAMRAP 

At  about  eleven  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  11th 
we  came  suddenly  upon  a branch  of  the  Krapong-Seng 
river,  which  is  here  spanned  by  an  old,  ruined  stone 
bridge,  about  three  hundred  feet  in  length,  sixty  in 
height,  and  forty  in  width.  It  is  built  of  a very 
coarse  porous  stone — evidently  of  volcanic  origin — 
with  twenty-six  arches  in  the  pointed  Gothic  style 
of  architecture ; it  rests  upon  a massive  platform  of 
masonry,  and  the  blocks  of  stone — four  feet  in  length, 
two  in  breadth,  and  one  in  thickness — are  laid  entirely 
without  cement.  There  is  no  carving  to  be  seen 
except  a little  arabesque  work  upon  the  narrow  stone 
coping.  No  keystone  being  employed,  and  the  stones 
not  being  smoothed  upon  their  tops,  the  arches  have 
consequently  many  of  them  broken  in,  and  all  are 
much  dilapidated.  The  bridge  exhibits  marks  of  great 
age  ; most  of  the  stone  facing  has  been  thrown  down  ; 
the  top  of  the  bridge  is  overgrown  with  shrubs,  and  in 


200 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


one  or  two  places  quite  large  trees  have  grown  up, 
fastening  their  roots  into  the  rich  debris  between  the 
blocks  of  stone.  Some  of  these  latter  have  been  worn 
round  and  nearly  smooth,  by  the  action  of  running 
water  apparently;  many  blocks  have  small  holes  in 
them,  as  if  by  this  means  they  had  been  lifted  and 
placed  in  position.  There  are  no  other  ruins  to  be 
seen  near  the  bridge  except  two  small  heaps  of  stone 
and  rubbish  in  the  centre  of  a shallow  lake.  This 
bridge,  which  the  natives  in  their  flowery  diction  style 
Taphan-theph — the  ‘ Celestial,’  ‘ Angels’,’  or  ‘ Shining 
Bridge  ’ (as  it  may  be  variously  translated)-was  probably 
built  about  the  same  time  as  the  temples  and  palaces 
of  Angkor,  when  that  city  was  the  capital  of  Cambodia 
— many  hundred  years  since. 

We  crossed  Taphan-theph  upon  our  elephants,  and 
soon  after  halted  for  tiffin  under  the  shade  of  some 
large  trees.  In  the  afternoon  I had  a long  ride  in  one 
of  the  little  passenger  bullock-carts.  The  body  of 
this  vehicle  looks  very  much  like  a huge  barrel ; it  is 
made  of  bamboo  covered  with  leaves,  but  so  narrow  is 
it  that  one  has  to  sit  cross-legged,  and  so  low  is  it  that 
when  thus  sitting  it  is  impossible  to  wear  one’s  hat. 
Upon  a small  seat  which  projects  out  before,  the  driver 
sits ; he  ckives  the  oxen  by  means  of  a small  rope 


SIAMRAP 


201 


passed  through  their  nostrils,  and  uses  a goad  (a  sharp 
nail  fastened  to  the  extremity  of  a stout  stick)  upon 
their  humps  instead  of  a lash.  The  bullocks  usually 
bear  strings  of  wooden  clapper-bells  around  their 
necks,  and  when  trotting  fast  their  jingling  sound 
reminds  one  somewhat  of  the  sleigh-bells  in  winter 
at  home.  Upon  a good,  level  road  this  mode  of 
conveyance  is  not  disagreeable,  but  little  of  the 
country  through  which  one  is  riding  can,  however,  be 
seen. 

Siamrap  we  found  to  be  a town — of  about  a 
thousand  inhabitants — pleasantly  situated  upon  the 
banks  of  a small  river,  and  three  and  a half  miles 
distant  from  the  ruins  at  Angkor.  We  were  received 
in  the  public  sala  by  the  Palat  (an  inferior  provincial 
officer),  who  brought  us  an  invitation  from  the  Governor 
to  dine  with  him  ; but  this  hospitality  we  were  obliged 
to  decline,  feeling  quite  exhausted  after  our  day’s 
travel.  It  seemed  that  we  had  arrived  in  Siamrap  at 
a time  of  unusual  festivity.  The  daughter  of  the 
Governor  was  about  to  be  married  to  the  cousin  of  the 
Governor  of  Battambong — a large  province  to  the 
south-west — and  great  preparations  for  the  happy 
event  were  going  forwards.  After  we  had  unpacked 
some  of  the  baggage  the  Governor  sent  us  a very  nice 


202  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


Siamese  (though  served  in  European  style)  dinner 
upon  a silver  tray ; there  was  soup  in  a large  blue 
China  tureen,  a great  dish  of  boiled  rice,  and  a 
variety  of  stewed  meats  and  condiments  in  small 
bowls : knives  and  forks,  were  provided  and  a table 
and  chairs  brought,  a cloth  laid,  and  upon  it  ( mirabile 
visu !)  a ‘ reg’lar  down-east  ’ tallow-dip  was  placed,  the 
the  wick  being  quite  two-thirds  of  its  size,  and  it 
burning  at  about  the  rate  of  an  inch  a minute.  After 
dinner  we  had  a long  conversation,  through  ‘ Henry  ’ 
as  medium,  with  the  chief  men  of  the  village,  who 
asked  questions — many  very  absurd  ones  too — much 
faster  than  we  could  answer  them.  In  the  morning 
came  presents  from  the  Governor  of  a shoulder  of 
beef,  some  eggs,  fowls,  cucumbers,  pumelows,  and 
bananas.  We  sent  our  letter  from  the  Foreign  Office 
at  Bangkok  to  His  Excellency.  It  was  received  with 
distinguished  ceremony  on  a golden  salver,  with  a 
conspicuous  display  of  white  umbrellas ; and  afterwards 
we  were  invited  to  an  interview. 

In  the  river  near  the  sala  are  several  large  water- 
wheels, used  by  the  natives  for  drawing  water  by  the 
action  of  the  current  of  the  stream.  Their  construc- 
tion is  novel ; the  wheels  are  perhaps  twelve  feet  in 
diameter,  with  broad  flanges  made  of  mats,  the  action 


SIAMRAP 


203 


of  the  current  turning  the  in,  and  the  water  of  the 
river,  directed  to  this  point,  filling  small  joints  of 
bamboo  which  are  fastened  to  the  inner  circumference 
of  the  wheel,  and  these,  revolving,  are  emptied  upon  a 
thatch  of  ataj9-palm  leaves,  a trough  under  which 
collects  the  water,  which  is  then  directed  to  the 
different  houses  by  means  of  long  wooden  pipes. 
Lower  down  the  river  were  several  canoes  and  barges, 
hollowed  out  of  single  trunks  of  trees,  which  were  as 
much  as  forty  feet  in  length  and  eight  feet  in  beam  or 
breadth ; one  had  a cabin  of  palm  leaves  built  in  its 
centre,  and  a grass  thatch  extending  over  it  from  stem 
to  stern.  These  canoes  and  large  boats  are  intended 
rather  for  use  on  Lake  Thalaysap,  eight  miles  distant, 
being  too  unwieldy  and  of  too  great  draught  to 
penetrate  far  up  the  river. 

The  walls  of  Siamrap,  built  of  brick  and  stone,  are 
twelve  feet  in  height  and  about  half  a mile  in  cir- 
cumference; they  have  bastions  at  the  corners,  and 
openings  in  the  parapet  for  cannon.  The  Governor 
afterwards  told  the  General  that  forty  years  ago  each 
of  these  embrasures — there  are  806  of  them — was 
occupied  by  a cannon,  but  having  since  become  rusty 
and  otherwise  out  of  repair,  they  have  all  been 
removed.  There  are  two  gates  on  the  eastern  side 


204  THE  LAN1)  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

and  one  on  each  of  the  others.  These  gateways  are 
surmounted  by  curious  old  towers  or  guard-rooms, 
with  peaked  roofs  ; the  gates  themselves  are  built  of 
massive  teak  planks,  thickly  studded  with  large  iron 
nails.  There  are  few  houses  besides  the  palace  and 
the  courts  of  justice  within  the  walls ; the  town, 
which  is  not  very  large,  lies  chiefly  along  the  banks 
of  the  small  river  which  flows  south  to  the  Lake 
Thalaysap,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  walls.  The 
houses,  built  upon  piles,  of  bamboo  and  palm-leaf,  and 
thatched  with  grass,  and  the  people  seem  generally 
to  present  a more  thrifty  appearance  than  that  usual 
in  Siamese  villages. 

Preceded  by  the  interpreter  and  followed  by  all  our 
servants,  we  entered  the  palace  enclosure  through  one 
of  the  immense  gates  already  mentioned,  and  walked 
fearlessly  past  the  gaping  mouth  of  a large  iron 
cannon,  mounted  upon  huge  wooden  wheels ; for  we 
knew  no  danger  was  to  be  apprehended,  since  the  bore 
of  the  cannon  had  been  converted  into  a peaceful 
aviary.  The  Governor  received  us  in  a long  and 
broad  verandah  and  waved  us  graciously  to  some 
chairs,  himself  taking  one  before  us.  Behind  His 
Excellency,  laid  upon  the  floor,  were  some  red  velvet 
cushions,  elegantly  embroidered  with  gold  thread,  and 


SIAMRAP 


205 


before  them  were  placed  the  most  magnificent 

betel-boxes,  cigar-cases,  spittoons,  &c.,  we  had 

as  yet  seen ; they  were  made  of  pure  Siamese 

gold  and  studded  with  costly  gems.  There  was  also  a 

set  of  beautiful  tea-things.  Along  the  walls  of  the 

verandah  or  audience  hall  were  placed  rows  of  guns 

and  swords ; some  of  the  former  were  old-fashioned 

flint-locks,  some  were  modern  muskets  of  good 

manufacture,  some  were  furnished  with  bayonets — 

rather  formidable-looking  weapons — and  with  brass 

scabbards.  At  the  right  of  His  Excellency  were  some 

royal  umbrellas  in  cases,  some  long  state  swords  to 

be  carried  in  procession,  a Connecticut  clock,  some 

glass  candlesticks  and  shades,  &c.,  and  the  walls  were 

hung  with  grotesque  Chinese  paintings.  Grouped 

about  the  Governor,  to  the  right  and  left,  were  some 

hundred  or  more  prostrate  officers  and  attendants  ; the 

rank  of  each  might  be  determined  by  his  dress,  the 

material  of  which  his  betel-boxes  were  manufactured, 

and  the  proximity  to  his  lord.  The  Governor  was  a 

young  man — a Cambodian  by  birth — of  pleasant 

though  not  very  intellectual  countenance,  of  short 

stature,  inclined  to  obesity ; and  he  was  dressed  in  a 

white  under-vest,  stand-up  collar  with  a gold  button,  a 

yellow  figured  silk  gown,  and  a green  silk  panoung , 

17 


206  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


the  lower  part  of  the  legs  and  his  feet  being  bare. 
His  Excellency  promised  to  provide  elephants  to  carry 
the  General  and  the  Missionary  back  to  Sesupon  and 
Kabin  when  they  were  ready  to  return,  and  also  to 
give  me  a letter  of  introduction  to  the  Prime  Minister 
of  Cambodia,  requesting  him  to  obtain  for  me,  if 
possible,  an  audience  with  His  Majesty  the  King  of 
Cambodia,  and  also  to  provide  a boat  and  boatmen  to 
convey  me  across  Lake  Thalaysap  and  down  the 
Mesap  river  to  Panompin,  the  capital. 

During  the  interview  the  Governor  ordered  his  own 
band  of  fourteen  instruments  to  play  for  our  amusement. 
Cambodian  music,  like  the  Siamese,  consists  principally 
of  noise — of  the  shrill  and  penetrating  sounds  produced 
by  flageolets  and  other  peculiarly  formed  reed  instru- 
ments, and  the  banging,  clanging,  and  rattling  of 
tom-toms,  cymbals,  musical  wheels  (metal  cups  of 
different  sizes  and  thicknesses  struck  with  a hammer), 
bamboo  sticks  (also  of  different  sizes  and  thicknesses, 
and  struck  in  the  same  manner);  all  playing  their 
loudest,  most  interminable  notes  in  full  blast  at  the 
same  time,  and  for  half  an  hour  without  intermission. 
The  character  of  the  music,  however,  is  often  sweet, 
sometimes  wailing  and  rather  dirge-like,  although 
always  played  in  quick  time.  The  instruments  them- 


SIAMRAP 


207 


close  together ; there  does  not  appear  to  be  any 
particular  leader,  as  there  is  no  particular  tune.  On 
tnking  leave,  the  Governor  sent  with  us  a present  of 
water-melons,  pumelows,  jack-fruits,  and  bananas. 

The  total  distance  we  travelled  from  Bangkok  was 
275  miles ; of  this  30  miles  was  by  canal  in  boats, 
50  miles  on  the  Bang  pa  Kong  river  in  boats,  and 


selves  are  capable  of  considerable  melody,  if  played 
with  reference  to  tune  and  time,  modulation  and 
expression.  The  performers  upon  the  musical 
wheels  and  the  boxes  with  suspended  bamboo  sticks 
evinced  much  skill  in  the  use  of  their  instruments. 
When  playing  the  musicians  sit  upon  the  floor  in  rows 


CAMBODIAN  FEMALE  BAND 


208  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

the  remainder — 215  miles — was  performed  upon  horses 
and  elephants,  in  bullock-carts,  and  on  foot ; the 
greater  part  of  the  journey,  however,  was  accomplished 
on  horseback.  The  time  consumed  in  making  this  trip 
was  seventeen  days. 

The  Governor  of  Siamrap  having  provided  us  with 
three  elephants,  on  the  13th  inst.  we  started  for  the 
ruins  of  Angkor,  three  and  a half  miles  distant,  to  the 
north.  We  took  but  little  baggage  with  us,  being 
rather  impatient  now  that  we  were  nearing  the  main 
object  of  the  expedition — the  ultima  Thule  of  our  desires 
and  hopes — and  so  we  passed  quickly  and  silently  along 
a narrow  but  good  road  cut  through  the  dense,  riant 
forest,  until,  in  about  an  hour’s  time,  on  suddenly 
emerging  from  the  woods,  we  saw  a little  way  off  to 
the  right,  across  a pond  filled  with  lotus  plants,  a long 
row  of  columned  galleries,  and  beyond — high  above 
the  beautiful  cocoa  and  areca  palms — three  or  four 
immense  pagodas,  built  of  a dark-grey  stone.  And 
my  heart  almost  bounded  into  my  mouth  as  the  Cam- 
bodian driver,  turning  towards  the  howdah,  said,  with 
a bright  flash  of  the  eye  and  a proud  turn  of  the  lip, 
lNaghon  Wat ;’  for  we  were  then  at  the  very  portals 
of  the  famous  old  ‘ City  of  Monasteries,’  and  not  far 
distant  was  Angkortliom — Angkor  the  Great. 


NAGKON  WAT:  ENTRANCE  WEST  OF  THE  FIRST  ENCEINTE:  INNER  VIEW 


■'H°A  *»K  •Hmpojq  j»eUv[[ 


THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  209 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR — THE  GREAT  TEMPLE 

We,  whose  good  fortune  it  is  to  live  in  the  nineteenth 
century,  are  accustomed  to  boast  of  the  perfection 
and  pre-eminence  of  our  modern  civilisation,  of  the 
grandeur  of  our  attainments  in  Science,  Art,  Literature, 
and  what  not,  as  compared  with  those  whom  we  call 
ancients ; but  still  we  are  compelled  to  admit  that  they 
have  far  excelled  our  recent  endeavours  in  many  things, 
and  notably  in  the  Fine  Arts  of  painting,  architecture, 
and  sculpture.  We  were  but  just  looking  upon  a most 
wonderful  example  of  the  two  latter,  for  in  style  and 
beauty  of  architecture,  solidity  of  construction,  and 
magnificent  and  elaborate  carving  and  sculpture,  the 
great  Nagkon  Wat  has  no  superior,  certainly  no  rival, 
standing  at  the  present  day.  The  first  view  of  the 
ruins  is  almost  overwhelming.  One  writer  says,  ‘ The 
ruins  of  Angkor  are  as  imposing  as  the  ruins  of  Thebes 
or  Memphis,  and  more  mysterious and  another — M. 
Mouhot — whose  work  we  have  used  as  a guide-book 


210  THE  LAM)  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

in  this  distant  part  of  Siam — thinks  that  ‘ one  of  these 
temples  \_Nagkon  Wat ] — a rival  to  that  of  Solomon, 
and  erected  by  some  ancient  Michael  Angelo — might 
take  an  honourable  place  beside  our  most  beautiful 
buildings.  It  is  grander  than  anything  left  to  us 
by  Greece  or  Rome.’  At  a first  sight  oue  is  most 
impressed  with  the  magnitude,  minute  detail,  high 
finish,  and  elegant  proportions  of  this  temple,  and 
then  to  the  bewildered  beholder  arise  mysterious 
after-thoughts — who  built  it?  when  was  it  built?  and 
where  now  are  its  builders  ? But  it  is  doubtful  if  these 
questions  will  ever  be  answered.  There  exist  no 
credible  traditions — all  is  absurd  fable  or  legend. 

The  ruins  of  Angkor  are  situated  in  the  province  of 
Siamrap,  eastern  Siam,  in  about  Lat.  13.30  N.  and 
Long.  104  E.  We  entered  upon  an  immense  cause- 
way, the  stairs  of  which  were  flanked  with  six  huge 
griffins,  each  carved  from  a single  block  of  stone. 
This  causeway,  which  leads  directly  to  the  main  entrance 
of  the  temple,  is  725  feet  in  length,  and  is  paved 
with  stones  each  of  which  measures  four  feet  in  length 
by  two  in  breadth.  On  either  side  of  it  are  artificial 
lakes  fed  by  springs,  and  each  covering  about  five  acres 
of  ground.  We  passed  through  one  of  the  side  gates 
cmd  crossed  the  square  to  a sola  situated  at  the  very 


NAGKON  WAT:  NORTH-WEST  EHICULE 


fir 

r 

1 

I f \ 

®| 

a 

IIei 

lAk. 

In 

THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— TIIE  GREAT  TEMPLE  211 


entrance  of  the  temple.  Embosomed  in  the  midst  of  a 
perfect  forest  of  cocoa,  betel-nut,  and  toddy  palms, 
and  with  no  village  in  sight — excepting  a dozen  or 
more  huts,  the  abodes  of  priests  having  the  charge  of 


PRIESTS  HOUSES,  NAGKON  WAT 


it — the  general  appearance  of  the  wonderful  temple  is 
beautiful  and  romantic  as  well  as  impressive  and  grand. 
A just  idea  of  it  can  hardly  be  conveyed  by  writing ; 
it  must  be  seen  to  be  understood  and  appreciated. 
Still,  perhaps,  a detailed  description  might  assist  the 


212  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

imagination  somewhat  in  forming  a proper  estimate  of 
the  grand  genius  which  planned  and  the  skill  and 
patience  which  executed  such  a masterpiece  of  archi- 
tecture. 

The  outer  wall  of  Nagkon  Wat — which  words  signify 
a city  or  assemblage  of  temples  or  monasteries — about 
half  a mile  square,  is  built  of  sandstone,  with  gateways 
upon  each  side,  which  are  handsomely  carved  with 
figures  of  gods  and  dragons,  arabesques  and  intricate 
scrolls.  Upon  the  western  side  is  the  main  gateway, 
and  passing  through  this  and  up  a causeway  (paved 
with  slabs  of  stone  three  feet  in  length  by  two  in 
breadth)  for  a distance  of  a thousand  feet,  you  arrive  at 
the  central  main  entrance  of  the  temple.  About  the 
middle  of  the  causeway,  on  either  side,  are  image- 
houses,  much  decayed  and  overgrown  with  rank  para- 
sitic plants  ; and  a little  farther  on  are  two  small  ponds, 
with  carved  stone  copings,  which  in  most  places  are 
thrown  down.  The  foundations  of  Nagkon  Wat  are  as 
much  as  ten  feet  in  height,  and  are  very  massively 
built  of  the  same  volcanic  rock  as  that  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  ‘ Angels’  Bridge.’  The  entire  edifice — 
which  is  raised  on  three  terraces,  the  one  about  thirty 
feet  above  the  other — including  the  roof,  is  of  stone, 
but  without  cement,  and  so  closely-fitting  are  the  joints 


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THE  RUIN'S  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  213 


as  even  now  to  be  scarcely  discernible.  The  quarry 
where  the  stone  was  hewn  is  about  two  clays’  travel — 
thirty  miles — distant,  and  it  is  supposed  the  transpor- 
tation of  the  immense  boulders  could  only  have  been 
effected  by  means  of  a water  communication — a canal 
or  river,  or  when  the  country  was  submerged  at  the  end 
of  the  rainy  season.  The  shape  of  the  building  is 
oblong,  being  796  feet  in  length  and  588  feet  in  width, 
while  the  highest  central  pagoda  rises  some  250  odd 
feet  above  the  ground,  and  four  others,  at  the  angles  of 
the  court,  are  each  about  150  feet  in  height. 

Passing  between  low  railings,  we  ascend  a plat- 
form— composed  of  boulders  of  stone  four  feet  in  length, 
one  and  a half  feet  in  width,  and  six  inches  in  thick- 
ness— and  enter  the  temple  itself  through  a columned 
portico,  the  facade  of  which  is  beautifully  carved  in 
basso-relievo  with  ancient  mythological  subjects.  From 
this  doorway,  on  either  side,  runs  a corridor  with  a 
double  row  of  columns,  cut — base  and  capital — from 
single  blocks,  with  a double,  oval-shaped  roof  covered 
with  carving,  and  consecutive  sculptures  upon  the  outer 
wall.  This  gallery  of  sculptures,  which  forms  the 
exterior  of  the  temple,  consists  of  over  half  a mile 
of  continuous  pictures,  cut  in  basso-relievo  upon  sand- 
stone slabs  six  feet  in  width,  and  represents  subjects 


214 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


taken  from  Hindoo  mythology — from  the  Kamayana — 
the  Sanscrit  epic  poem  of  India — with  its  25,000  verses 
describing  the  exploits  of  the  god  Rama  and  the  son 
of  the  King  of  Oudh.  The  contests  of  the  King  of 
Ceylon,  and  Hanuman,  the  monkey  god,  are  gra- 


SCULPTURES  IN  THE  CITY  OF  ANGKOR 


phically  represented.  There  is  no  keystone  used  in 
the  arch  of  this  corridor,  and  its  ceiling  is  uncarved. 
On  the  walls  are  sculptured  the  immense  number  of 
100,000  separate  figures  (or  at  least  heads).  Entire 
scenes  from  the  Ramayana  are  pictured  ; one,  I re- 
member, occupies  240  feet  of  the  wall.  Weeks  might 


NAGKON  WAT:  PERISTYLE  OF  THE  GALLERY  OF  BAS-RELIEFS 


THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  21 0 


be  spent  in  studying,  identifying,  and  classifying  the 
varied  subjects  of  this  wonderful  gallery.  You  see 
warriors  riding  upon  elephants  and  in  chariots,  foot 
soldiers  with  shield  and  spear,  boats,  unshapely  divini- 
ties, trees,  monkeys,  tigers,  griffins,  hippopotami,  serpents, 
fishes,  crocodiles,  bullocks,  tortoises,  soldiers  of  immense 
physical  development,  with  helmets,  and  some  people 
with  beards — probably  Moors.  The  figures  stand 
somewhat  like  those  on  the  great  Egyptian  monuments, 
the  side  partly  turned  towards  the  front ; in  the  case 
of  the  men  one  foot  and  leg  are  always  placed  in 
advance  of  the  other ; and  I noticed,  besides,  five 
horsemen,  armed  with  spear  and  sword,  riding  abreast, 
like  those  seen  upon  the  Assyrian  tablets  in  the  British 
Museum. 

In  the  processions  several  of  the  kings  are  preceded 
by  musicians  playing  upon  shells  and  long  bamboo 
flutes.  Some  of  the  kings  carry  a sort  of  battle-axe, 
others  a weapon  which  much  resembles  a golf-club,  and 
others  are  represented  as  using  the  bow  and  arrow.  In 
one  place  is  a grotesque  divinity  who  sits  elegantly 
dressed  upon  a throne  surmounted  by  umbrellas  ; this 
figure,  of  peculiar  sanctity  evidently,  has  been  recently 
gilded,  and  before  it,  upon  a small  table,  there  were 
a dozen  or  more  ‘joss-sticks’  kept  constantly  burning 


216  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

by  the  faithful.  But  it  is  almost  useless  to  particularise 
when  the  subjects  and  style  of  execution  are  so  diverse. 
Each  side  of  the  long  corridor  seemed  to  display 
figures  of  distinct  feature,  dress,  and  character.  ‘ The 
most  interesting  sculptures,’  says  Dr.  Adolf  Bastian,  the 
President  of  the  Boyal  Geographical  Society  of  Berlin, 
who  explored  these  wonderful  ruins  in  1864,  ‘ the  most 
interesting  sculptures  at  Nagkon  Wat  are  in  two  com- 
partments, called  by  the  natives  respectively  the  pro- 
cession and  the  three  stages  (heaven,  earth,  and  hell). 
What  gives  a peculiar  interest  to  this  section  is  the  fact 
that  the  artist  has  represented  the  different  nationalities 
in  all  then-  distinctive  characteristic  features,  from  the 
flat-nosed  savage  in  the  tasseled  garb  of  the  Pnom  and 
the  short  haired  Lao  to  the  straight-nosed  Eajaput,  with 
sword  and  shield,  and  the  bearded  Moor,  giving  a cata- 
logue of  nationalities,  like  another  column  of  Trajan, 
in  the  predominant  physical  conformation  of  each  race. 
On  the  whole  there  is  such  a prevalence  of  Hellenic 
cast  in  the  features  and  profiles,  as  well  as  in  the 
elegant  attitude  of  the  horsemen,  that  one  might  sup- 
pose Xenocrates  of  old,  after  finishing  his  labours  in 
Bombay,  had  made  an  excursion  to  the  east.’ 

There  are  figures  sculptured  in  high  relief  (nearly 
life-size)  upon  the  lower  parts  of  the  walls  about  the 


SCULPTURES  AT  NAGKON  WAT 


THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  217 


entrance ; all  are  females,  and  apparently  of  Hindoo 
origin.  The  interior  of  the  quadrangle  bounded  by 


NAGKON  TV  AT  COLUMNS 

the  long  corridor  just  described  is  filled  with  galleries 
— halls,  formed  with  huo;e  columns,  crossing  one 
another  at  right  angles.  In  the  Nagkon  Wat  as 


218  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

many  as  1,532  solid  columns  have  been  counted,  and 
among  the  entire  ruins  of  Angkor  there  are  reported 
to  be  the  immense  number  of  6,000,  almost  all  of 
them  hewn  from  single  blocks  and  artistically  carved. 
On  the  inner  side  of  the  corridor  there  are  blank 
windows,  each  of  which  contains  seven  beautifully 
turned  little  columns.  The  ceilings  of  the  galleries 
were  hung  with  tens  of  thousands  of  bats  and  pigeons, 
and  other  birds  had  made  themselves  comfortable  nests 
in  out-of-the-way  corners.  We  pass  on  up  steep  stair- 
cases, with  steps  not  more  than  four  inches  in  width, 
to  the  centre  of  the  galleries  which  here  bisect  one 
another.  There  are  two  detached  buildings  in  this 
square,  probably  used  formerly  as  image-houses,  and 
they  now  contain  wooden  Budhas,  though  of  recent 
date.  In  one  of  the  galleries  we  saw  two  or  three 
hundred  images — made  of  stone,  wood,  brass,  clay — of 
all  shapes  and  sizes  and  ages  (some  of  the  large  stone 
idols  are  said  to  be  1,400  years  old),  a Budha’s 
‘sacred  foot,’  &c. ; ‘joss-sticks’  were  burning  before 
the  largest  images,  which  were  besides  daubed  with  red 
paint  and  partially  gilded.  We  walk  on  across 
another  causeway,  with  small  image-houses  on  either 
hand,  and  up  a steep  flight  of  steps,  fully  thirty  feet 
in  height,  to  other  galleries  crossing  each  other  in  the 


NAGKON  WAT:  FRAGMENT  OF  BAS-RELIEF 


THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  219 

centre,  above  which  rises  the  grand  central  pagoda — 
250  feet  in  height — and  at  the  four  corners  of  the  court 
four  smaller  spires.  These  latter  are  much  dilapidated 
and  do  not  now  display  their  full  height ; the  porticoes 
also  bear  evidence  of  the  presence  of  the  ‘ heavy  hand 
of  time.’  Upon  the  four  sides  of  the  base  of  the 
highest  spire  are  colossal  images  of  Budha — made 
of  plaster — and  other  smaller  divinities  in  various 
positions.  These  figures  of  Budha  are  grandly  placed, 
for  when  the  doors  of  the  enclosing  rooms  are  opened, 
from  their  high  position  they  overlook  the  surrounding 
country  ; and  the  priests  of  Nagkon  Wat  worship  here 
at  the  present  day.  There  is  one  more  gallery,  and 
then  we  come  to  the  outer  corridor,  and  pass  through 
a magnificent  doorway  to  the  rear  of  the  temple,  and 
walk  round  to  our  sala , not  knowing  which  to  admire 
the  most,  the  vastness  of  the  plan  or  the  propriety  and 
grace  of  the  performance. 

But  who  built  the  Nagkon  Wat  ? and  when  was  it 
built  P Learned  men  (who  have  visited  the  ruins)  have 
attempted  to  form  opinions  from  studies  of  its  con- 
struction and  especially  its  ornamentation ; but  what 
decision  could  be  reached,  what  judgment  passed,  when 
we  see  in  the  same  temple  carved  images  of  Budha, 
four-  and  even  thirty-two-armed,  and  two-  and  sixteen- 


220  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

headed  gods,  the  Indian  Vishnu,  gods  with  vjings, 
Burmese  heads,  Hindoo  figures,  Ceylon  mythology,  &c.P 
.Native  Cambodian  historians  reckon  2,400  years  from 
the  building  of  Nagkon  Wat,  and  the  traditions  of 
their  country  are  said  to  date  back  to  the  year  of  the 
world  205.  Some  have  supposed  Nagkon  Wat  to  be 
but  1,400  years  old,  to  have  been  built  by  different 
kings,  and  to  have  been  completed  by  one  who  was  a 
Budhist.  The  Cambodians  still  possess  accounts  of  the 
introduction  of  Budhism.  ‘ Samanokodom  left  Ceylon 
and  went  to  Tibet,  where  he  was  very  well  received  ; 
from  thence  he  went  among  the  savages,  but  not  meet- 
ing with  encouragement  from  them,  he  took  refuge  in 
Cambodia,  where  he  was  welcomed  by  the  people.’ 
And  Dr.  Bastian  says  that  this  temple  was  built  for  the 
reception  of  the  learned  patriarch  Buddhaghosa,  who 
brought  the  holy  books  of  the  Trai-Pidok  from 
Langka  (Ceylon).  And  likewise  Bishop  Pallegoix,  a 
French  Boman  Catholic  missionary  who  resided  many 
years  in  Siam,  travelled  much  about  the  country,  and 
wrote  a very  valuable  work  upon  Siam  and  the 
Siamese,  refers  the  erection  of  this  edifice  to  the  reign 
of  Phra  Pathum  Suriving,  at  the  time  the  sacred  books 
of  the  Budhists  were  brought  from  Ceylon  and  Budhism 
became  the  religion  of  the  Cambodians.  The  natives 


COLONNADE  AT  NAGKON  WAT 


THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  221 

themselves  (the  common  people)  can  throw  no  light 
upon  this  subject.  I asked  one  of  them  how  long 
Nagkon  Wat  had  been  built.  ‘ None  can  tell 
when — many  hundred  years  ago,’  he  replied.  I asked 
if  Cambodians  or  some  other  race  erected  this  wonder- 
ful building,  and  he  answered  frankly,  ‘ I do  not  know  ; 
but  it  must  have  either  sprung  up  from  the  ground 
or  been  built  by  giants,  or  perhaps  by  the  angels.’ 
Another  man  said  he  did  not  believe  it  was  built  by 
angels,  for  he  could  see  the  effect  of  the  tools  of  man 
upon  it — certainly  an  amazing  display  of  intellectual 
acumen  for  a native.  But  still  the  degenerate  Cam- 
bodians of  the  present  day,  whose  only  genius  expresses 
itself  in  the  carving  of  their  boats,  have  no  idea  or 
belief  that  their  ancestors  may  have  constructed  these 
temples. 

* Was  civilisation,’  asks  Louis  de  Carne  (late  mem- 
ber of  the  French  Commission  of  Exploration  of  the 
Makong  river) — ‘was  civilisation,  in  the  complex  mean- 
ing we  give  that  word,  in  keeping  among  the  ancient 
Cambodians  with  what  such  prodigies  of  architecture 
seem  to  indicate  ? The  age  of  Phidias  was  that  of 
Sophocles,  Socrates,  and  Plato  ; Michael  Angelo  and 
Raphael  succeeded  Dante.  There  are  luminous  epochs 
during  which  the  human  mind,  developing  itself  in 


222  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


every  direction,  triumphs  in  all,  and  creates  master- 
pieces which  spring  from  the  same  inspiration.  Have 
the  nations  of  India  ever  known  such  periods  of  special 
glory  ? It  appears  little  probable,  and  it  is  only 
necessary  to  read  the  Chinese  traveller  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  whose  narrative  M.  Abel  Remusat  has  trans- 
lated, to  be  convinced  that  it  was  never  reached  by  the 
Ehmers  [ancient  Cambodians].  He  describes  the  monu- 
ments of  the  capital,  most  of  which  were  covered  with 
gilding,  and  he  adds  that,  with  the  exception  of  the 
temples  and  the  palace,  all  the  houses  were  only 
thatched.  Their  size  was  regulated  by  the  rank  of  the 
possessor,  but  the  richest  did  not  venture  to  build  one 
like  that  of  any  of  the  great  officers  of  state.  Despotism 
induced  corruption  of  manners,  and  some  customs 
mentioned  by  our  author  show  actual  barbarism.’ 
This  article  would  tend  to  prove,  therefore,  that  the 
authorship  of  Nagkon  Wat  must  be  ascribed  to  other 
than  the  ancient  Cambodians.  But  to  whom  ? 

M.  Henri  Mouhot,  who  gave  the  first  exact  account 
of  these  since  celebrated  ruins,  was  strongly  of  the 
opinion  that  they  were  built  by  some  of  the  lost  tribes 
of  Israel — those  scape-goats  of  so  many  anonymous 
monuments  throughout  the  world.  M.  Mouhot,  in  his 
travels  through  Indo-China,  made  many  efforts  to  dis- 


THE  GRAND  STAIRCASE,  NA  OKON  WAT 


THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  223 


cover  traces  of  J ewish  emigration  to  Siam  or  Cambodia, 
but  met  with  nothing  satisfactory  excepting  a record 
of  the  Judgment  of  Solomon — attributed  to  one  of 
their  kings,  who  had  become  a god  after  having  been, 
according  to  their  ideas  of  metempsychosis,  an  ape,  an 
elephant,  &c. — which  was  found  by  M.  Miche,  the 
French  Bishop  of  Laos  and  Cambodia,  to  be  preserved 
verbatim  in  one  of  the  Cambodian  sacred  books. 
Everywhere  M.  Mouhot  was  told  ‘ there  were  no  Jews 
in  the  country still  he  could  not  but  be  struck  by  the 
Hebrew  character  of  the  faces  of  many  of  the  savage 
Stiens,  and  when  looking  at  the  figures  in  the  bas- 
reliefs  at  Angkor,  he  could  not  avoid  remarking  the 
strong  resemblance  of  the  faces  there  to  those  of  these 
savages.  ‘And  besides  the  similar  regularity  of  feature, 
there  are  the  same  long  beards,  straight  langontis 
(waistcloths),  and  even  the  same  weapons  and  musical 
instruments.’  It  is  M.  Mouhot’s  belief  that,  without 
exaggeration,  some  of  the  oldest  parts  of  Angkor  may 
be  fixed  at  more  than  2,000  years  ago,  and  the  more 
recent  portions  not  much  later.  But  where  are  now 
the  race  of  people  who  had  the  genius  to  plan  and  the 
skill  and  patience  to  rear  such  magnificent  structures  P 
There  is  no  trace  of  them  existing  among  the  Cam- 
bodians of  the  present  day ; there  is  no  trace  of  any 

19 


224  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

such  people  among  the  surrounding  nations,  unless, 
indeed,  faith  is  to  be  placed  in  the  statement  con- 
cerning the  Stiens,  and  another  race — the  Bannans — 
quite  as  well,  who  inhabit  the  old  country  Chiampa,  or 

Tsiampa.  And  the  Abbe  Jaquenet,  a Roman  Catholic 

• 

missionary  in  Cochin  China,  seems  rather  to  confirm 
M.  Mouhot’s  impressions,  for  he  writes  : ‘ Whether  we 
consider  the  commercial  relations  of  the  Jews  with  these 
countries,  particularly  when,  in  theheight  of  their  power, 
the  combined  fleets  of  Solomon  and  Hiram  went  to  seek 
the  treasures  of  Ophir  (a  generic  name  used,  perhaps, 
to  designate  the  two  Indies),  or  whether  we  come  lower 
down,  to  the  dispersion  of  the  ten  tribes,  who,  instead 
of  returning  from  captivity,  set  out  from  the  banks  of 
the  Euphrates  and  reached  the  shores  of  the  ocean — 
whatever  ground  of  explanation  we  resolve  upon,’ 
concludes  the  pious  father,  ‘ the  shining  of  the  light 
of  revelation  in  the  far  east  is  not  the  less  incon- 
testable.’ Another  circumstance  of  considerable  inte- 
rest, and  one  mentioned  by  both  Dr.  Bastian  and  M. 
Mouhot,  is,  that  the  foundation  of  Angkor  is  referred 
by  the  native  historians  to  a Prince  of  Roma,  or  Ruma, 
and  that  the  name  of  Roma  is  familiar  to  nearly  all  the 
Cambodians,  who  place  it  at  the  western  end  of  the 
world. 


VIEW  FROM 


THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  225 


We  regarded  the  temples  as  at  least  a thousand  years 
old  ; for  how  could  a race  be  swept  entirely — with  not 
a single  vestige — out  of  existence  in  less  time  ? And 
again,  the  general  appearance  of  the  buildings  —the 
deeply -Mom  stone  stairs,  the  battered  and  decayed 
columns  and  slabs,  the  moss-covered  and  fallen  roof, 
the  absence  of  the  keystone  in  the  arches,  and  the 
undecipherable  inscriptions,  all  betoken  great  age, 
giving  evidence  of  another  people  and  another  civili- 
sation. The  style  of  the  architecture  of  this  wat  is 
very  like  that  of  the  temples  of  India,  and  somewhat 
resembles  also  that  of  the  temples  of  Java,  and  this 
would,  perhaps,  seem  to  indicate  a Hindoo  or  a Malay 
origin ; there  is  little  resemblance,  however,  to  the 
Egyptian  monuments  : here  all  is  light,  airy,  graceful ; 
there  all  is  massive,  severe,  and  grand. 

But  are  there  no  tablets  eulogising  its  founders  or 
commemorating  its  establishment,  no  inscriptions  con- 
cerning the  building  and  the  builders,  set  up  in  this 
temple  P Yes,  inscriptions  truly  there  are ; some  can 
be  deciphered  and  some  can  not,  but  those  which  can 
be  read  only  give  descriptions  of  offerings  made  by 
different  donors,  with  some  allusions  to  religious  cere- 
monies and  mythological  objects.  There  is  a tablet  of 
black  marble,  about  five  feet  square,  let  into  the  wall 


226  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

of  the  rear  (eastern)  corridor,  from  which  this  infor- 
mation, and  this  alone,  may  be  gained.  The  inscrip 
tions  which  cannot  be  read  are  written  in  ancient 
Cambodian,  in  a character  which  resembles  the  Pali, 
though  in  a more  antiquated  form.  ‘ The  language 
differs  from  the  vernacular  Cambodian,  as  well  as  from 
the  Pali,  and  is  not  understood  now.’  It  is  said  that 
several  of  the  old  kings  of  Cambodia  ‘ introduced  com- 
pulsory changes  into  the  alphabet,’  besides  changing 
the  Cambodian  era,  and  hence  we  see  the  almost  hope- 
less confusion  which  Orientalists  now  have  to  encounter 
and  overcome  before  the  chronology  and  history  of 
this  country  can  be  known.  And  there  we  must  leave 
this  interesting  question  until  some  inscriptions  are 
discovered  which,  with  competent  linguists  to  decipher 
them,  may  offer  something  of  historical  moment,  or 
until  some  monastery  may  be  found  which  has  pre- 
served a record  of  these  very  ‘ problematic  annals  ’ — 
if  indeed  they  have  ever  been  written. 

An  officer  of  the  Chinese  Government  visited  the 
capital  of  Cambodia  in  the  year  1295,  and  mentions 
the  wonderful  appearance  of  the  city  and  its  monu- 
ments, and  describes  some  of  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  people.  From  this  traveller’s  time  until  the 
latter  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  nothing  authentic 


ANGLE  OF  THE  GREAT  COURT  OF  THE  TEMPLE 


THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  227 


is  heard.  Christoval  de  Jaque,  a Portuguese,  who  in 
1570,  being  driven  from  Japan,  took  refuge  in  Cam- 
bodia, describes  the  ruins  of  Nagkon  Wat , and  states 
that  even  then  the  inscriptions  were  unintelligible  to 
the  Cambodians,  and  that  Angkor  was  no  longer  a 
royal  residence.  ‘ He  seems  to  say  that  even  at  that 
period  it  had  already  been  deserted  by  its  inhabitants.’ 
Christoval  thought  the  Cambodians  were  the  most 
potent  people  between  the  provinces  of  Pegu  (Burma) 
and  Tonquin  (Annam).  Perhaps  the  name  4 Roma,’ 
so  familiar  to  all  Cambodians,  was  introduced  by  the 
Portuguese  through  the  tenets  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith ; but  then  why  should  their  religion  have  become 
extinct,  and  still  the  tradition  of  a Prince  of  Roma 
remain  P Then  again  there  is  a long  silence  concerning 
these  ruins,  which  is  not  broken  until  the  year  1855  ; 
since  which  date  the  labours  and  studies  of  M.  Mouhot, 
Dr.  Bastian,  and  Mr.  Thompson  (the  English  photo- 
grapher) have  again  brought  the  wonderful  temples 
to  the  attention  of  the  civilised  world,  and  almost,  as 
it  were,  discovered  them  for  the  first  time,  for  it  was 
to  their  persevering  efforts  mainly  we  were  indebted 
tor  a knowledge  of  the  ruins  of  Angkor  and  the  great 
temple  Nagkon  Wat. 


228 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

A CAMBODIAN  MARRIAGE  FESTIVAL 

The  principal  ruins  of  Siam  and  Cambodia  yet  dis- 
covered lie  in  the  province  of  Siamrap,  as  already 
stated.  At  about  three  miles  north-east  of  Angkor,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Siamrap  river,  are  the  ruins  of 
a city  called  Patentaphrohm,  the  citadel  of  Taphrohm, 
and  near  it  is  a ivat  styled  Prakeoh , or  the  Gem 
Tower,  presenting  the  same  combination  of  a royal  and 
priestly  residence  as  Angkor  and  Nagkon  Wat.  Some 
of  these  temples  and  palaces,  with  their  columns, 
sculptures,  and  statues,  are  quite  as  interesting,  though 
not  so  well  preserved,  as  those  at  Angkor.  About  four 
miles  east  of  Nagkon  Wat  are  two  other  remains  of 
antiquity — Bakong  and  Lailan.  At  the  latter  there 
are  several  images  of  Budha  ‘ built  up  of  bricks  upon 
the  freestone  which  forms  the  fundament  and  the 
lower  stage.  The  bricks  are  exceedingly  hard,  and 
made  in  a manner  not  understood  now  by  the  people 
of  the  country.  They  are  polished  and  laid  upon  each 


A CAMBODIAN  MARRIAGE  FESTIVAL 


229 


other  in  so  neat  a manner  that  no  traces  of  mortar  can 
be  discovered.’  In  the  province  of  Battambong,  forty 
or  fifty  miles  south-west  from  Siamrap  town,  there  are 
also  ruins — temples,  monasteries,  and  palaces — and 
indeed  the  whole  valley  of  the  Makong  river  to  the 
very  borders  of  China  is  spread  with  ruins  of  more  or 
less  magnitude,  beauty,  and  interest. 

Near  the  monastery  of  Prcikeoh  is  an  artificial  lake 
called  Sasong  (the  Royal  Lake),  built  by  the  kings  of 
Patentaph rok m,  and  surrounded  with  pleasure  houses 
for  their  recreation.  Dr.  Bastian  thinks  that  it  must 
have  been  a work  of  immense  labour,  and  thatthewhole 
population  of  Cambodia  of  to-day  would  scarcely  be 
able  to  raise  such  a gigantic  structure.  The  lake 
of  Sasong  he  escribes  as  being  ‘ of  oblong  shape, 
about  2,000  feet  broad  and  4,000  feet  long,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a high  embankment  of  solid  masonry.  Some 
of  the  blocks  are  fourteen  to  sixteen  feet  long  and 
highly  finished.  In  convenient  places  square  platforms 
were  built  overhanging  the  water,  with  broad  flights 
of  steps  leading  down  to  it,  and  in  such  places  the  huge 
masses  of  stone  laid  on  each  other  are  embellished  by 
delicate  chisellings,  bearing  the  figures  of  serpents, 
eagles,  lions  (in  their  fabulous  shapes,  as  Naga,  Kruth, 
Sinto)  on  the  ends.  In  the  middle  of  the  lake  is  a small 


230  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

island  with  the  remains  of  a former  palace  upon  it.  Of 
all  the  figures  used  for  ornaments,  that  which  recurs 
most  frequently  is  that  of  the  Naga ; and  the  Chinese 
officer  who  visited  Cambodia  in  1295  describes  already 
the  pillars  of  the  stone  bridges  adorned,  with  serpents, 
each  of  which  had  nine  heads.’ 

We  had  been  but  two  or  three  days  at  the  Nagkon 
Wat,  when  there  came  an  invitation  from  the  Governor 
to  visit  him  at  Siamrap.  So  mounting  our  elephants 
early  in  the  morning,  we  returned  to  our  old'su/a,  not 
far  distant  from  the  palace  gate.  Soon  after  our  arrival 
came  the  promised  letter  of  introduction  from  the 
Governor  of  Siamrap  to  the  Prime  Minister  of  Cambodia, 
requesting  him  to  obtain  me  an  audience  with  His 
Majesty.  It  was  written  in  the  Cambodian  language, 
though  accompanied  by  a Siamese  translation,  which 
latter  ‘ Henry,’  the  Consulate  interpreter,  rendered  into 
literal  Euglish  for  my  instruction  and  amusement.  It 
read  as  follows  : — 

‘ The  letter  of  Phraya-nu-pap-Tripoph,  the  Governor 
of  the  Province  of  Siamrap,  sent  to  Phrava-Kralahome 
at  the  city  of  Panompin,  stating  that  the  American 
Consul  brought  a letter  with  the  seal  of  Chow- 
Phraya-Pootarupai  out  to  the  Governor  of  the  Province 
of  Siamrap,  the  substance  of  which  is  as  follows: — 


A CAMBODIAN  MARRIAGE  FESTIVAL 


231 


Mr.  the  American  Consul  wished  to  travel  to  the  ruins 
of  Nagkoji  Wat  and  Nagfcon  Thom , and  if  Mr.  Consul 
wished  to  travel  to  any  place  whatever,  let  the  Governor 
prepare  everything  that  he  requires  (to  see  it).  The 

American  Consul  also  wishes  to  have  Mr. , an 

American  citizen,  go  out  [i.e.  of  this  Province]  to  see 
the  city  of  Panompin.  I herewith  send  (transport) 

Mr. , the  American  citizen,  out  [i.e.  of  this 

Province  to  Panompin]  in  accordance  with  the  tenor 
of  the  letter  of  Chow-Phraya-Pootarupai.  Will  you 

please  conduct  Mr. up  to  have  an  audience  with 

His  Majesty  Ong  Somdetch  Norodom  Phranarowdom  P 

‘ Given  on  Saturday,  the  ninth  day  of 
the  waxing  moon,  the  fourth  month  of 
the  year  of  the  goat,  and  the  third  year 
of  the  reign.’ 

O 

An  invitation  to  dinner  accompanied  this  letter,  and 
we  could  not  refuse  the  hospitality  of  the  Governor  so 
courteously  proffered,  though  we  took  pains  to  eat  a 
tolerably  substantial  meal  before  going,  agreeably  to 
the  necessities — as  regards  quality  and  species,  not 
quantity — of  native  dinners  before  experienced.  His 
Excellency  received  us  in  a truly  oriental  style  of 
(very)  ‘low  neck  and  (very)  short  sleeves’  dress, 
having  nothing  whatever  upon  his  dusky  person 


232  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


excepting  a silk  panoung , round  the  loins.  Dinner 
was  served  on  a small  table  in  the  audience  hall ; and 
with  about  a hundred  noblemen  and  attendants,  who 
lay  around  crouching  on  the  floor,  curious  to  see  the 
farangs  ’ barbarous  and  ridiculous  manner  of  eating. 
The  Governor  had  resided  some  time  at  Bangkok,  and 
consequently  had  seen  a good  deal  of  foreigners  and 
their  customs,  and  so  the  dinner  was  served  with  all 
the  western  display  his  experience  and  cuisine  could 
prompt  or  effect.  The  meal  was  presented  in  Jive 
courses — soups,  meats,  vegetables,  sweets,  and  fruits — 
and  the  table  was  lavishly  burdened  with  the  variety 
of  food.  There  were  two  kinds  of  soup,  served  in 
large  blue  china  tureens ; pigs’  feet  and  boiled  beef ; 
broiled  chicken,  cooked  spread  out  flat,  with  the  feet 
attached ; fried  sweet  potatoes  (here  a white  variety) ; 
boiled  and  baked  rice ; half  a dozen  bowls  of  mixed 
and  minced  meats ; two  or  three  varieties  of  condi- 
ments. &c. ; then  followed  a dozen  bowls  and  plates  of 
sweets,  cakes,  and  fritters ; and  some  excellent  (white) 
water-melon  concluded  the  feast.  We  rather  regretted 
having  eaten  before  leaving  our  sala , for  many  of  the 
articles  on  the  table  before  us  were  quite  good — in  fact, 
very  good  when  compared  with  the  diet  of  some  of  the 
eastern  nations,  as,  say,  the  Chinese ; most  palatable, 


A CAMBODIAN  MARRIAGE  FESTIVAL 


233 


for  example,  if  likened  to  the  breakfasts,  with  their 
forty  little  bowls  of  bird’s-nest,  sea-slug,  and  shark’s-fin 
soup  ; unhatched  chickens  ; the  stomachs  of  ducks  ; fried 
fat  pork,  with  sugar  and  pepper  ; the  entire  viscera  of 
various  animals ; eggs,  much  mellowed  by  lapse  of 
time  ; putrid  fish ; and  (if  one  chooses,  though  they  are 
eaten  by  the  poorer  classes  only)  puppies  and  rats, 
which  are  served  ‘ to  order,’  in  the  Mussulman  (Chinese) 
restaurants  of  Pekin  ; or  even  in  Canton,  where  I have 
seen  a sign  in  an  eating-house  frequented  by  well-to-do 
merchants  and  artisans — and,  by  the  bye,  it  proves 
‘ there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun  ’ even  in  Yankee- 
dom — which  announces  to  its  patrons,  in  business-like 
manner,  the  appetising  fact  that  that  desirable  delicacy, 
that  luxuriant  dainty — ‘Best  black  cats’  meat  is  ready  at 
all  hours  ’ 

Apeculiarstrongliquorpnuchresemblingcamphene, 
and  the  Japanese  said  (rice  spirit)  less,  in  taste,  was 
drunk  with  the  dinner  ; and  afterwards  we  had  tea,  and 
then  cheroots — native  tobacco  rolled  in  palm-leaf  and 
tied  with  fibre.  The  serving  of  the  meal  was  quite 
amusing.  The  food  was  brought  in  upon  silver  trays, 
some  of  which  were  placed  upon  the  floor,  there  not 
being  rouin  for  all  upon  the  table.  Our  plates  were 
of  different  colour  and  ornamentation  ; thus  the 


234 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


General  had  a red  one,  the  Missionary  a black  one, 
and  I a blue  one  ; and  scarcely  two  bowls  or  dishes 
upon  the  table  were  of  the  same  size  or  pattern.  We 
ate  with  silver-plated  forks  and  spoons,  and  tried — but 
miserably  failed — to  cut  our  meat  with  rusty  steel 
knives.  The  tea  was  served  in  brass  bowls,  from 
which  we  dipped  with  little  cups,  holding  less  than  a 
mouthful  each.  We  tried  to  refrain  from  laughing, 
lest  the  Governor  might  be  offended,  but  it  was  rather 
difficult  to  keep  our  features  composed  when  we  saw 
the  attendants  wiping  our  knives  and  forks  upon  their 
pyjamas , or  rending  chunks  from  the  general  water- 
melon, and  offering  them  to  us  in  their  own  hands. 

After  dinner  there  was  music  and  dancing,  and  then 
the  Governor  exhibited  his  gold  betel-boxes  and  other 
paraphernalia.  He  told  us  that  all  were  made  by  a 
Cambodian  goldsmith  im  Siamrap  from  the  gold  and 
silver  coins  of  Hue,  the  capital  of  Annam — of  entirely 
pure  metal — and  they  certainly  were  very  elegant  in 
design  and  finish.  We  most  admired  the  cigar  case 
(value  #125).  The  other  articles  were  a large  dish 
which  contained  the  ‘ kit,’  a gold  betel-leaf  and  lime 
holder  ; a small  gold  tobacco-box ; a silver  cup,  with 
cigars  ; and  a little  silver  box,  made  in  the  form  of 
a fish,  containing  a perfumed  ointment,  used  by  the 


A CAMBODIAN  MARRIAGE  FESTIVAL 


235 


native  noblemen  to  anoint  their  lips  and  nostrils. 
During  the  evening  His  Excellency  asked  if  I would 
not  like  to  accompany  a party  of  Chinese  who  were 
going  to  Panompin  for  business  purposes ; he  remarked 
they  were  ready  to  start  at  once,  but,  if  agreeable,  he 
would  detain  them  until  we  had  seen  all  the  ruins  of 
Angkor.  The  Governor’s  kind  proposal  was  accepted 
with  many  thanks. 

February  the  15th  was  the  day  appointed  for  the 
marriage  festival  in  the  palace,  but  I being  sick,  my 
companions  thought  it  imprudent  for  me  to  attend. 
However,  in  the  evening  the  Missionary  gave  me  a 
detailed  account  of  the  entire  proceedings.  He  said 
that  when  they  reached  the  Governor’s  palace  the 
ceremony  had  just  commenced.  That  they  were 
ushered,  amid  a tremendous  din  of  gongs,  into  a large 
sala  beyond  the  reception  hall,  where  were  seated  the 
Governor  and  about  a hundred  noblemen  and  invited 
guests ; the  bridegroom,  a young  man  about  twenty 
years  of  age,  elegantly  attired  in  silk  jacket  and 
panoung,  was  also  there.  By  the  time  the  farangs 
were  seated,  a procession- — headed  by  the  bride,  sup- 
ported on  either  hand  by  demure-looking  matrons — 
composed  principally  of  aged  or  married  women,  all 

elegantly  attired,  entered  and  slowly  marched  towards 

20 


236  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

the  Governor.  The  bride  was  not  particularly  interest- 
ing as  regards  personal  charms  ; she  was  young,  how- 
ever, and  dressed  richly  and  in  good  taste.  Besides  her 
silk  panoung  she  wore  a gold-embroidered  scarf  upon 
her  shoulders,  also  gold  rings  upon  her  fingers,  bracelets 
upon  her  wrists,  and  armlets  above  the  elbows.  The 
bride  took  up  her  position  near  the  bridegroom,  both 
sitting  upon  the  floor,  but  not  looking  towards  each 
other ; in  fact,  throughout  the  entire  ceremony  they  both 
were  perfectly  impassive  and  nonchalant.  The  marriage 
ceremony  proper  now  began.  A number  of  wax 
candles  were  brought  in  a salver,  and  then  lighted  by 
one  of  the  nobles.  The  silver  waiter  was  then  passed 
round  before  the  company  eight  times,  each  one  in 
turn  saluting  the  couple  and  wishing  them  good  fortune 
by  waving  or  blowing  the  smoke  towards  them,  thus  ex- 
pressing something  like  the  old  English  custom  of  throw- 
ing the  slipper  after  a newly-married  couple — the  band 
of  string  and  reed  instruments  playing  the  meanwhile. 
Two  large  velvet  cushions  having  been  previously  placed 
before  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  and  upon  them  a 
large  sword,  the  leader  of  the  lacon  (theatricals)  now 
came  forward  and  went  through,  for  a few  moments,  a 
most  fantastical  sword  exercise.  Dishes  had  been 
placed  before  the  unsusceptible  couple  upon  the  floor 


A CAMBODIAN  MARRIAGE  FESTIVAL 


237 


with  covers  upon  them,  which  latter  the  lacon  man 
removed  during  his  flourishes,  disclosing  to  view  some 
cooked  fowls  or  ducks ; nothing  was  eaten,  however. 
Next  the  hands  of  the  expectant  couple  were  bound 
together,  and  to  each  other,  wdth  silken  threads  by 
the  women  attendants — probably  some  near  relatives. 
Thus  were  they  truly  ‘joined  together’ in  Budhistic 
wedlock.  And  this  completed  the  nuptial  ceremony. 

Afterwards  a grand  banquet  was  served  in  the 
reception  room,  the  Governor  himself  officiating. 
The  nobles  and  guests  partook  of  the  viands,  sitting 
apart  at  little  tables  by  themselves.  The  farangs 
occupied  the  place  of  honour  at  the  end  of  the  hall ; 
and  they  pronounced  the  dinner  excellent.  Several 
enquiries  were  made  by  the  Governor  and  some  of  the 
nobles  after  Nak  Prat  (the  ‘wise  man’  or  philosopher), 
alluding  to  my  modest  self,  for,  having  learned  that  I 
had  travelled  ‘ through  many  lands  and  over  many 
seas,’  they  inferred  a commensurate  expansion  of 
intellect — a large  stock  of  wisdom  or  philosophy 
gathered  from  so  extensive  observation  and  study  of 
diverse  peoples  and  countries.  Perhaps  it  is  super- 
fluous to  add  that  the  term  Nak  Prat  was  afterwards 
very  frequently  heard  applied  as  a surname  in  our 
sala,  until  the  General  and  Missionary  so  happily 


238  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


bethought  themselves  of  the  necessity  of  their  leaving 
Siamrap  and  returning  the  one  to  Bangkok  and  the 
other  to  Pechaburi,  to  reassume  the  weighty  cares  of 
State  and  Church  there  separately  located.  The  Go- 
vernor’s answer  to  the  question,  ‘ Where  are  now  the 
race  who  built  the  grand  old  edifices  of  Angkor  P ’ was 
to  the  effect  that  a certain  king  of  Siam  had  pressed 
these  people  (whoever  they  were)  so  hard  that  they  left 
their  city  and  fled  away  off  to  the  north  somewhere — 
perhaps  to  the  provinces  of  Dangtrong  or  Tonquin. 

The  wedding  presents  of  the  4 happy  ’ couple  were 
spread  upon  mats  laid  on  the  floor  of  the  reception 
hall.  The  Governor’s  gift  was  a large  lump  of  gold 
(worth  $450),  five  silver  bars  (worth  $15  each),  an 
American  gold  watch  and  chain,  a gold  tobacco-box, 
and  800  silver  ticals.  Upon  one  mat  were  2,000  ticals 
worth  of  money  in  coins  of  different  values.  The 
other  gifts  were  panoungs  and  native  trinkets  and 
jewellery. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  returned  to  our  sata  at 
Nagkon  Wat,  and  prepared  to  visit  the  city  of  Angkor 
and  its  environs. 


SCULPTURES  AT  ENTRANCE  TO  NAGKON  WAT 


RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS  239 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  RUINS  OF  ANGKOR THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS 

Angkor,  styled  by  the  natives  Nagkon  Thom , the 
Great  City,  is  situated  about  two  and  a half  miles 
uorth-west  of  Nagkon  Wat , and  a good  road  leads  there, 
through  dense  forests  of  immense  oil  and  poll  trees. 
Angkor  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  capital  of  the 
ancient  kingdom  of  Khaman,  though  we  know  little  or 
nothing  of  its  history.  There  is  a tradition  preserved 
which  sets  forth,  in  most  extravagant  and  improbable 
manner,  that  the  kingdom  had  twenty  kings  who  paid 
tribute  to  it;  that  its  army  consisted  of  70,000  war 
elephants,  200,000  horsemen,  and  5,000,000  foot 
soldiers  ; and  that  its  ‘ royal  treasury  occupied  a space 
of  more  than  300  miles.’  The  ancient  city  was  two 
and  a half  miles  in  length  and  two  and  a quarter  miles 
in  width,  surrounded  by  three  walls,  the  outermost  of 
which,  the  natives  say,  it  would  require  an  entire  day 
to  circumambulate.  The  outer  wall  is  the  only  one 
now  at  all  preserved.  It  is  about  twenty  feet  in  height 


240  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


and  ten  in  width,  built  of  large  square  blocks  of  volcanic 
rock,  and  has  two  gates  upon  the  eastern  side  and  one 
upon  each  of  the  others.  We  entered  by  the  south 
gateway — a pyramidal  structure,  perhaps  fifty  feet  in 
height,  rising  above  a pointed  arch.  On  the  top  of  this 
gateway  was  growing  a poh  tree,  with  a trunk  as  much 
as  three  feet  in  diameter,  sending  its  roots  down 
through  and  over  the  huge  blocks  of  stone  into  the 
rich  earth.  The  area  within  the  walls  is  now  mostly 
overgrown  with  jungle.  About  a mile  north  from  the 
gate  is  a colossal  statue  of  Budha,  formed  of  large 
stones,  and  evidently  of  modern  fabrication. 

A little  farther  on,  in  the  midst  of  the  forest,  there 
are  the  ruins  of  a large  wat — -a  one-storey  building, 
enclosed  within  high  walls,  surmounted  by  twenty-five 
stone  pagodas  disposed  in  parallel  rows.  These  pagodas 
are  about  fifty  feet  in  height,  except  the  centre  one, 
which  was  originally  at  least  a hundred,  and  the  exterior 
of  each  is  worked  into  colossal  faces  of  Budha — eight 
feet  long  by  four  in  width  — upon  the  four  sides. 
These  faces  wear  a pleasant,  good-natured  expression, 
which  is  heightened  by  the  corners  of  the  mouth 
curling  upwards ; the  ears  are  long  and  narrow,  and 
slit  like  those  of  the  Burmese  Gaudama,  but  a rather 
fancy  tiara  or  head-dress  takes  the  place  of  the  short 


RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS  241 


curls  of  most  Budhas.  One  of  these  faces  is  nearly 
concealed  by  a network  of  the  roots  of  the  poh  tree 
which  has  grown  up  from  the  side  of  the  pagoda.  To 
the  poh  trees  is  due  in  great  part  the  present  ruinous 


WOODEN  IDOL 


state  of  this  wat,  for,  having  sprung  up  near  or  on  the 
tops  of  the  pagodas,  they  send  their  roots  down 
through  the  joints  of  the  stones,  forcing  them  out  of 
place,  and,  besides,  the  wind,  blowing  against  their 


242 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEI>HANT 


thick  and  widespread  foliage,  works  almost  like  a lever 
upon  the  roots.  Around  the  bases  of  the  central 
pagoda  are  numerous  small  idol-cells,  and  there  are 
some  female  figures  carved  upon  the  doors  of  these 
cells  which  are  surely  of  Hindoo  origin ; besides  the 
corresponding  features,  they  wear  the  long  sarong  and 
the  round  anklets  of  that  nation.  It  is  doubtful  if 
these  grand  monuments  can  defy  time  much  longer  ; 
some  of  the  blocks  of  stone  in  the  pagodas  are  sepa- 
rated by  as  much  as  an  inch ; many  seem  only  to 
require  a touch  to  topple  them  to  the  ground ; some 
chambers  are  entirely  choked  up  by  their  roofs  having 
fallen,  and  over  and  through  all  the  ruins  the  para- 
sitical poh  tree  has  spread  its  roots  and  reared  aloft  its 
glossy  green  head  (we  saw  a solid  block  of  stone, 
ten  feet  in  length,  which  was  supported  in  a nearly 
horizontal  position  solely  by  the  roots  of  an  immense 
poh  tree,  grown  interlaced  around  one  end  of  it),  and 
shrubs  and  coarse  grass  now  riot  where  once  the 
praises  of  the  great  Budha — ‘ the  Illuminator  of  the 
World  ’ — resounded  through  the  halls. 

About  half  a mile  from  here  we  came  to  the  palace 
gate  of  the  inner  or  third  wall,  upon  one  side  of  which, 
on  an  immense  stone  platform,  rests  the  statue  of  the 
Leper  King — he  who  is  supposed  to  have  founded,  or 


RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS  243 

at  least  to  have  completed,  the  building  of  Angkor. 
The  sides  of  the  platform  are  faced  with  slabs  of  stone 
carved  with  different  featured  and  costumed  figures,  all 
sittiug  in  cross-legged  positions.  On  the  opposite  side  of 


THE  LEPER  KING 


the  gateway  are  pictures  iu  stone,  a battle  and  a military 
procession.  The  famous  statue  of  the  Leper  King  is 
carved  from  sandstone  iu  a sitting  posture.  The  body, 
which  is  naked  and  rather  rudely  cut,  yet  exhibits  a 
marked  contrast  to  the  physical  type  of  the  present 


244  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


race  of  Cambodians ; the  features  are  of  a much 
higher  order — indeed,  the  profile  is  quite  Grecian  in 
outline — the  eyes  are  closed ; a thin  moustache,  twisted 
up  at  the  ends,  covers  the  upper  lip ; the  ears  are  long, 
and  have  the  immense  holes  in  then-  lobes  peculiar  to 
the  Burmese  and  Siamese  Budhas ; the  hair  is  thick 
and  displayed  in  curls  upon  the  head,  the  top  of  which 
is  surmounted  by  a small  round  crown.  There  is  an 
inscription  in  ancient  Cambodian  characters  upon  the 
front  of  the  pedestal.  The  figure  of  the  king  is  some- 
what mutilated ; the  fingers  and  thumb  of  the  right 
hand  are  wanting,  three  toes  of  the  left  foot  are 
missing,  and  a large  piece  has  been  broken  from  the 
left  arm.  The  natives  have,  with  (for  them)  astonish- 
ing forethought,  placed  a small  grass  thatch  over  this 
statue.  They  have  somewhat  naturalised  (if  a 
foreigner)  and  very  much  travestied  then’  royal  ancestor 
(if  indeed  such  he  be)  by  blackening  his  teeth, 
rouging  his  lips,  and  gilding  Ins  forehead.  The  precise 
history  of  the  Leper  King  has  not  been  determined. 
There  is  one  legendary  tradition  that  Angkor  was 
founded  in  fulfilment  of  a vow  by  a king  who  was  a 
leper.  Another  tradition  says  that  to  an  Egyptian 
king,  who  for  some  sacrilegious  deed  was  turned  into 
a leper,  must  be  ascribed  the  authorship  of  Angkor. 


KUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS  245 

The  old  city  besides,  as  has  been  already  mentioned,  is 
said  by  the  modern  Cambodians  to  have  been  built 
by  the  angels  or  by  the  giants,  or  to  have  sprung  up 
from  the  ground.  But  all  these  explanations  and  the 
traditions  as  well  are  most  vague,  uncertain,  and  un- 
satisfactory. 

Agreeably  to  the  legend  referring  the  founding 
of  Angkor  to  an  Egyptian  king,  and  some  fancied 
resemblances  between  the  religion  of  Budha  and 
that  of  ancient  Egypt,  a late  writer  in  the 
‘National  Quarterly  Review’  (Vol.  XXVI.  No.  LI. 
art.  ‘ Siam  and  the  Siamese  ’)  seems  to  think  these 
• point  to  the  fact  that  at  some  very  remote  period  the 
Egyptians,  or  a people  identical  with  them,  held  sway 
over  that  portion  of  the  globe  which  comprises  Siam, 
Cambodia,  and  Cochin  China.’  But  the  founding  of 
Angkor  is  also  attributed,  and  by  the  most  learned 
Cambodian  historians  of  the  present  day,  to  a Prince 
of  Roma— Roma  being  placed  by  them  at  the  western 
end  of  the  world— while  Egypt  never  has  occupied  that 
position  in  the  ideas  of  any  nation.  Historical  students 
had  for  a long  time  entertained  very  diverse  opinions 
concerning  the  origin  of  Budhism.  Some  had  thought 
that,  excepting  Brahmanism,  it  was  the  most  ancient 
of  eastern  religions.  Others  had  supposed  that  it 


246  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

was  the  primitive  faith  of  Hindustan,  which  has  been 
driven  forth — on  the  south  to  Ceylon,  and  thence 
spread  towards  the  east  and  Farther  India,  and  on  the 
north  to  Tibet,  Tartary,  Mongolia,  China,  Corea,  and 
Japan — and  superseded  by  other  religions  ; and  the 
fact  that  scarcely  an  individual  of  that  belief  can 
be  found  in  India  to-day,  with  the  knowledge  of 
the  modern  sway  of  Mohammedanism  and  Brahmanism 
there,  would  perhaps  not  detract  from,  if  it  did  not 
strengthen,  such  a notion.  Pococke,  the  author  of 
‘ India  in  Greece,’  imagined  that  the  early  Greeks  were 
Budhists.  Some  had  thought  that  Budhism  was 
eliminated  from  the  gross  pantheisms  of  Egypt  and 
Greece,  and  a few  had  even  essayed  to  identify  Budha 
with  the  Hermes  of  the  ancient  Egyptians.  The 
Jesuits  would  persuade  us  that  Budhism  is  of  Nestorian 
origin-  Traces  of  this  ancient  faith  have  been  found 
in  Swedish  Lapland,  and  endeavours  have  been  made 
to  prove  Budha  one  and  the  same  with  the  Woden 
of  the  Scandinavians.  But  notwithstanding  all  these 
conjectures  and  speculations,  Budhism  is  now  generally 
believed  by  oriental  scholars  to  have  originated  in  the 
sixth  century  B.c. — to  have  sprung  up  in  Nepaul,  a 
country  lying  contiguous  to  India  on  the  north ; and 
‘ in  fixing  this  date  no  further  reliance  is  placed  on 


RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS  247 

the  canonical  books  of  Budhism  than  seems  to  be 
warranted  by  evidence  derived  from  other  sources,  for 
a Hindoo  has  no  idea  of  real  history.’ 

It  is  true  that  the  prachadis , or  sacred  spires,  of  the 
Siamese  slightly  resemble  in  form — but  more  in 
purpose,  for  their  ‘ original  design  was  sepulchral  ’ — 
the  Pyramids,  but  there  are  no  prachadis  among  the 
ruins  of  Angkor.  The  physiognomy  of  the  Siamese 
and  Cambodian  Budhas  compares  better,  that  is  more 
correctly  and  fully,  with  that  of  several  tribes  even  now 
inhabiting  the  plateaus  of  Central  Asia — beyond  the 
northern  base  of  the  Himalayas — than  any  race  yet 
discovered  in  Ethiopia.  And  the  notion  that  the 
chambers  of  the  Egyptian  Pyramids  were  intended  to 
contain  relics  of  sacred  animals,  which  were  worshipped, 
has  been  exhaustively  discussed  and  amply  refuted  by 
the  greater  number  of  learned  Egyptologists.  The 
Siamese  word  Phra,  prefixed  to  the  titles  of  their 
kings,  means  ‘ lord  ’ or  ‘ master  ; ’ it  will  hardly  bear 
the  rendering  Pharaoh.  And  the  fact  that  ‘ the 
Egyptians  were  red-skinned,  and  the  Siamese  are  a 
mixture  of  black,  yellow,  and  white,  and  there  are  no 
vestiges  of  a red  race  among  them,’  seems  to  indicate 
that  the  length  of  time  which  has  elapsed  since  the 
red  men  were  there  (Siam)  has  been  so  enormous  that 


248  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


none  of  the  ruins,  if  the  hypothesis  of  the  Egyptians 
or  a people  identical  with  them  (can  the  writer  refer 
to  the  Jews?)  holding  sway  over  a portion  of  Indo- 
China  were  tenable,  could  now  be  standing  in  such 
tolerable  condition. 

Budhism  has  more  striking  points  of  resemblance  to 
Christianity  than  to  any  religion  of  Egypt.  An  eminent 
Budhist  reformer  of  the  fourteenth  century  once  defined 
the  duty  of  the  different  classes  of  Budhists  in 
the  following  manner  : — 

‘ Men  of  the  lowest  order  of  mind  must  believe  that 
there  is  a God ; and  that  there  is  a future  life,  in 
which  they  will  receive  the  reward  or  punishment  of 
their  actions  and  conduct  in  this  life. 

‘ Men  of  the  middle  degree  of  mental  capacity  must 
add  to  the  above  the  knowledge  that  all  things  in  this 
world  are  perishable ; that  imperfection  is  a pain 
and  degradation  ; and  that  deliverance  from  existence 
is  a deliverance  from  pain,  and  consequently  a final 
beatitude. 

‘ Men  of  the  third  or  highest  order  must  believe,  in 
further  addition,  that  nothing  exists,  or  will  continue 
always,  or  cease  absolutely,  except  through  dependence 
on  a casual  connection  or  concatenation.  So  will  they 
arrive  at  the  true  knowledge  of  God.’ 


RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS  249 


‘What  is  this,’  justly  asks  Princep  (‘Tibet,  Tartary, 

and  Mongolia’),  the  distinguished  Asiatic  antiquarian 

and  orientalist,  who  first  deciphered  the  ancient  Pali 

(obtaining  his  clue  to  the  characters  of  that  language 

from  inscriptions  engraved  on  a stone  tablet,  now 

preserved  in  the  Museum  of  the  Asiatic  Society, 

Calcutta),  k what  is  this  but  Christianity,  wanting  only 

the  name  of  Christ  as  its  preacher  and  the  Mosaic 

faith  for  its  antecedent?  It  is  these  that  the  missionary 

must  seek  to  add.’  There  seems  to  be  much  stronger 

reason  for  imputing  the  founding  of  Angkor  to  the 

Jews  than  the  Egyptians,  and  more  still  to  some  tribe 

which  has  migrated  from  Central  Asia  at  a remote 

period  than  to  either  of  these  races.  But,  to  return  after 

so  long  a digression  to  Angkorthom  and  the  palace  gate  : 

the  inner  wall  was  originally  11  senn  in  length  and 

7.3  senn  in  width  (40  senn  is  an  approximation  to  a 

mile),  and  about  20  feet  in  height,  with  a low  stone 

coping.  There  are  a few  minor  detached  ruins 

scattered  through  the  forest,  and  many  heaps  of  bricks, 

of  which  latter  the  city  proper  seems  to  have  been 

built.  What  remains  of  the  royal  palace  is  a large 

square  structure  of  pyramidal  shape,  terminating  in  a 

tower,  the  whole  probably  150  feet  in  height.  It  is 

much  dilapidated.  From  the  staircase  the  sandstone 

21 


250  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


facing  has  fallen  away,  and  the  underlying  coarse  vol- 
canic rock  is  much  worn ; the  steps  were  so  narrow 
we  could  scarcely  obtain  a sufficiently  secure  footing  to 
ascend  to  the  top.  In  a small  room  near  the  summit 
were  long  inscriptions  engraved  upon  the  jambs  of  the 
doors  in  the  ancient  (undecipherable)  Cambodian 
character.  Near  the  palace  there  lives  a petty 
provincial  officer  who  has  had  charge  of  the  ruins,  he 
told  us,  for  over  thirty  years.  His  reception  room  was 
quite  an  armoury  : in  it  were  several  flint-lock  muskets ; 
two  or  three  fowling-pieces ; some  large  swords, 
resembling  the  terrible  Japanese  weapons;  half  a dozen 
powder  horns,  from  which  the  powder  was  emptied  at 
the  large  end ; some  wickerwork  shot-baskets,  gun 
wad  cases,  &c.  The  officer  presented  us  with 
pumelows  and  bananas,  and  we  had  a long  conversa- 
tion concerning  the  ruins,  but,  excepting  the  dimensions 
of  the  walls,  the  old  man  could  give  but  little  informa- 
tion. 

About  half  a mile  north-west  of  Nagkon  Wat  there 
are  the  ruins  of  an  observatory,  built  upon  the 
summit  of  a hill  perhaps  500  feet  in  height.  A foot- 
path leads  up  this  hill  through  the  thick  jungle.  The 
first  indication  of  any  antiquities  thereabouts  is  two 
immense  stone  griffins,  one  standing  on  each  side  of 


RUINS  OF  ANGKOR-THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS  25  i 

the  path ; and  next  we  pass  a small  image  with  the 
head  of  an  elephant  and  the  body  of  a human  being ; 
it  is  the  elephant-headed  Ganesh — the  god  of  wisdom 
of  the  Hindoo  mythology.  Arriving  at  a small  level 
space,  there  appeared  a ‘foot-print’  of  I3udha  (of 
modern  make),  looking  like  a gigantic  bath-tub  sunk 
in  the  ground.  Two  large  stone  towers  stood  near 
the  ‘foot-print,’  whose  roofs  on  the  interior  sloped 
gradually,  with  four  carved  sides,  to  an  apex.  The 
architecture  was  very  beautiful  and  quite  unique 
m stJle-  . One  of  these  towers  we  found  filled  with 
stone  and  wood  sitting  images ; the  other  contained  a 
colossal  stone  king  or  divinity  of  some  sort,  whose 
head,  hands,  and  arms  had  been  broken  from  the  trunk. 
It  lay  upon  its  back  on  the  floor,  and  was  evidently  of 
ancient  make.  Its  toes  being  of  the  natural  lengths,  we 
knew  it  could  not  be  a Budha  (in  the  latter  the  toes 
and  fingers  are  of  the  same  length);  besides,  the  head 
had  four  faces,  and  there  were  four  pairs  of  arms  and 
hands.  It  was  rudely  carved  from  sandstone,  and  the 
features  were  not  different  from  many  others  scattered 
around. 

This  hill  is  cut  in  five  terraces  paved  with  stone,  and 
having  staircases,  each  about  twelve  feet  in  height, 
ornamented  with  stone  lions  upon  their  balusters ; and 


252  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

at  the  corners  of  each  terrace  are  small  image-houses 
The  building  is  quadrilateral,  and  covers  the  entire 
crest  of  the  hill,  there  being  four  entrances ; the 
central  spire  is  now  an  unshapely  mass  of  large  boulders, 
all  overgrown  with  trees,  shrubs,  and  vines.  From  the 
summit  we  obtained  an  extensive  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  which  was  level  and  for  the  most 
part  covered  with  riant  jungle,  there  being  a great 
number  of  oil  trees.  To  the  north  there  extended  from 
east  to  west  a range  of  low  blue  hills  ; to  the  south- 
east we  could  just  discern  the  placid  waters  of  Lake 
Thalaysap  ; to  the  south  lay  the  quaint  old  town  of 
Siamrap  ; and  to  the  south-west  there  was  another 
large  lake  of  bright,  clear  water.  We  returned  to  our 
sala,  took  a parting  look  at  Nagkon  Wat,  tiffined,  and 
left  for  Siamrap. 

In  the  evening  we  paid  a farewell  visit  to  the 
Governor,  who  received  us  at  the  head  of  the  stairs, 
and  escorted  us  to  chairs  in  the  reception  hall.  His 
Excellency  told  Nak  Prat  that  the  party  of  Chinese 
merchants  would  start  on  the  day  but  one  following ; 
that  he  would  give  him  a free  passage  to  Panompin, 
and  order  everything  necessary  to  be  provided  for  his 
comfort.  There  is  no  possibility  of  obtaining  an  inter- 
preter in  Siamrap,  so  it  will  be  necessary  to  have 


RUINS  OF  ANGKOR— THE  CITY  AND  ENVIRONS  253 


recourse  to  pantomime  on  this  journey ; and  as  no 
native  understands  the  American  culinary  art,  it  will 
be  unavoidable  that  the  farang  should  cook  for  himself. 
But  having  no  table  service — no  plates,  knife,  fork, 
spoon,  or  cup — he  took  the  liberty  to  request  the  loan 
of  these  necessary  articles  from  the  Governor,  knowing 
it  would  not  break  up  any  of  his  sets  (?) ; for,  from  those 
he  had  seen  displayed,  there  were  in  the  palace  scarcely 
two  table  articles  of  like  material  or  fashion.  During 
our  interview  tea  and  cigars  were  offered,  and  at  one 
time  the  Governor  excused  himself  from  the  room  to 
order  some  cakes  and  fruit,  which  were  served-  on 
silver  trays.  We  thanked  His  Excellency  very  much 
for  his  kindness — the  General  offering  to  return  his  hos- 
pitalities at  the  Consulate  in  Bangkok,  should  he  visit 
the  capital — and  took  an  early  departure. 

The  night  was  excessively  cold — we  shivered  under 
three  blankets  apiece — and  yet  notwithstanding  so  great 
changes  of  temperature — 40°  in  twenty-four  hours — 
the  climate  is  said  to  be  quite  healthy,  except  during, 
and  for  some  time  subsequent  to,  the  annual  rains.  We 
arose  and  breakfasted  by  candle-light ; the  baggage  was 
packed  in  carts ; the  servants  were  ready ; presents 
had  been  made ; the  elephants  were  saddled  and 
brought  round  to  the  sala,  and  my  companions 


254  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

mounted  and  rode  away — but  not  until  there  had  been 
a hearty  shake  of  hands,  and  the  pleasantest  wishes  on 
both  sides — towards  the  west,  on  their  return  journey 
overland  to  Bangkok ; while  I was  to  remain  in 
Siamrap  and  start  alone  on  the  following  morning  for 
Lake  Thalaysap,  Panompin,  and  Saigon. 


SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 


255 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 

The  day  was  passed  in  busy  preparations  for  the 
journey.  Some  cooking  utensils  were  sent  by  the  Palat 
to  the  sala — an  earthenware  fire-holder,  a large  iron 
stew-pan,  two  bowls  for  baking  rice ; and  these,  with  a 
small  porcelain-lined  kettle  brought  from  Bangkok, 
will  serve  to  cook  that  third  of  the  stock  of  provisions 
remaining  yesterday  which  fell  to  my  share.  4 Heng,’ 
the  cook,  had  made  five  or  six  loaves  of  bread,  some 
dried  apple-pies,  and  had  boiled  one-half  of  a ham, 
whilst  the  Governor  offered  to  supply  rice,  fowls,  eggs, 
fish,  fruit.  In  the  forenoon  came  my  new  servant 
a wild-looking  Cochin  Chinese  boy,  with  his  black  hair 
combed  straight  back  from  the  forehead  and  tied  in  a 
knot  behind  the  head,  and  his  large  mouth  stained  red 
and  his  teeth  blackened  by  constant  rumination  of  the 
betel  cud.  Returning  from  a long  walk  about  the  town 
in  the  afternoon,  a messenger  awaited  my  arrival  with 
an  invitation  to  dine  with  the  Governor.  This  I 


256  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


accepted,  and  had  a very  amusing  time,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  there  was  no  conversation  between  us,  though  there 
was  plenty  of  pantomime  (the  interpreters  had  returned 
with  my  companions  to  Bangkok).  Having  been 
escorted  to  a house  without  the  walls,  I was  received  by 
His  Excellency  in  a very  small  room,  the  floor  of  which 
was  covered  with  bamboo  mats  and  whose  walls  were 
hung  with  grotesque  Siamese  paintings.  After  blankly 
staring  at  each  other  for  some  time,  and  making  several 
futile  attempts  to  express  our  thoughts  by  vigorous  move- 
ments of  eyes,  arms,  and  legs— at  which  we  both  laughed 
heartily — the  Governor  took  my  hand  in  his  own,  and 
thus  we  walked,  at  the  head  of  a large  crowd  of 
attendants  and  nobles,  out  of  the  compound,  and 
through  the  gate  of  the  walled  town  on  to  the  recep- 
tion hall  of  the  palace.  Here  a dinner  was  served  in 
European  style,  consisting  of  soup  (genus  undis- 
covered) ; boiled  pigs’  feet  (very  good) ; boiled  pork 
(too  fat) ; roast  pork  (rather  rich) ; a mixed  stew 
(contents  unknown) ; a dish  of  uncertain  meat, 
cooked  in  an  uncertain  manner;  boiled  eggs;  baked 
rice  (excellent) ; sweets,  four  or  five  sorts  of  cakes  and 
fritters  (all  good) ; bananas  (a  little  wilted)  ; and  tea 
and  cheroots,  which  closed  the  repast.  The  Governor 
was  much  pleased  with  my  book  of  sketches,  and 


SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 


257 


recognised  many  which  had  been  taken  in  his  province 
and  in  Siamrap  town.  But  our  conversation  (?)  was  so 
fatiguing  that  the  visit  was  not  prolonged  to  a very  late 
hour.  A present  of  two  dozen  eggs,  six  or  eight  cakes 
of  sugar,  half  a bushel  of  rice,  a dozen  fowls,  and  about 
two  hundred  bananas  was  sent  after  me  to  the  sala. 

On  the  following  morning,  the  18th  of  February,  with 
a buffalo  cart  for  my  baggage,  provisions,  and  servant, 
and  a bullock  cart  for  myself,  we  left  Siamrap  for  Lake 
Thalaysap  and  Panompin.  The  suburbs  of  the  town 
extend  a long  way  to  the  southward ; these  traversed, 
we  entered  upon  an  immense  level  plain  covered  with 
young  paddy  of  a beautiful  green  colour  and  some 
six  inches  in  height ; water,  for  irrigation,  being  con- 
ducted over  it  in  little  canals,  though  this  is  unneces- 
sary during  a considerable  part  of  the  year,  when  the 
lake  overflows  this  section  of  country.  Two  or  three 
miles  from  Siamrap,  west  of  the  road,  were  the  ruins 
of  a lofty  stone  tower,  not  as  grand  or  beautiful  as 
those  of  Nagkon  Wat.  Opposite  a low  sandhill  we 
came  suddenly  upon  the  river,  where  was  a camp  of 
natives  and  a large  corral  of  buffaloes  and  bullocks. 
There  were  two  boats  in  the  river,  filled  with  provisions 
and  cooking  utensils,  which  the  men  were  towing  as  they 
walked  in  the  stream  ; farther  down  were  some  more 


258  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

boats  propelled  in  the  same  manner.  We  next  crossed 
a boggy  marsh,  and  passing  through  about  a mile  of 
thick  shrubbery,  over  a road  much  cut  up  by  elephant 
tracks,  we  halted  at  the  present  terminus  of  the  road, 
for  the  swamp  prevented  farther  progress  by  land ; 
and  after  patiently — or  rather  impatiently — waiting  for 
nearly  two  hours,  my  Cochin  Chinese  boy  succeeded 
in  procuring  a canoe,  in  which  we,  with  bag  and  bag- 
gage, paddled  a mile  or  so  to  the  place  where  the 
lake  boats  were  moored. 

There  appeared  to  be  no  village  thereabouts,  only  a 
"little  hut  where  some  Chinamen  were  repairing  or 
building  boats.  In  the  water,  moored  to  each  other 
and  to  the  shore,  were  about  twenty  boats  of  different 
sizes,  built  somewhat  after  the  Chinese  junk  pattern, 
with  huge  eyes  painted  upon  either  side  of  their  prows  ; 
their  occupants  seemed  to  be  Cambodians  chiefly, 
though  there  were  also  many  Chinamen.  The  craft 
to  which  I was  allotted  was  about  sixty  feet  in  length, 
ten  in  width,  and  four  above  the  water-line,  with  a 
house,  the  sides  of  plank  running  fore  and  aft  (ex- 
cept a small  platform  in  the  stern,  for  the  steersman), 
raised  about  three  or  perhaps  four  feet  at  the  ridge- 
pole. It  was  built  of  hard  wood,  gummed  (pitched)  on 
the  inner  side  below  the  water-line,  had  two  decks,  a 


SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 


259 


room  with  two  small  windows,  about  the  centre  of  the 
boat  upon  the  upper  deck,  being  reserved  for  my  own 
accommodation ; and  adjoining  it  towards  the  stern 
there  was  a room  to  be  used  by  the  boy  as  a sleeping 
apartment  and  by  myself  as  a kitchen  and  storeroom 
for  the  provisions.  The  roof,  made  of  palm-leaf  and 
covered  with  stout  pieces  of  bamboo,  was  so  low  one 
could  only  crawl  about  in  the  cabin  below,  where 
in  the  middle  of  the  day  the  heat  was  almost  unbear- 
able. The  crew  consisted  of  three  Chinese — two  of 
whom  were  also  merchants  and  owners  of  the  boat — 
and  two  Cambodians,  and  the  remaining  Chinaman 
was  simply  a passenger  like  myself ; we  carried  no 
freight.  At  a bend  in  the  river,  a short  distance  below 
our  moorings,  were  more  huts  and  boat-builders.  The 
people  on  the  banks  seemed  to  live  by  supplying  the 
boatmen  with  fish  and  other  food.  The  river  was  not 
more  than  thirty  or  forty  feet  wide ; its  banks  were 
fined  with  stunted,  scrubby  trees  and  bushes,  which 
bore  a water-mark  four  feet  above  the  then  level  of 
the  stream.  After  an  hour  of  vigorous  use  of  the  pole 
we  came  suddenly  into  the  lake,  two  sides  of  which  (the 
southern  and  western)  were  bounded  by  the  horizon  ; 
the  water  was  muddy  and  a heavy  ground  swell  was 
rolling.  After  we  had  all  had  supper,  four  oars  were 


2(30  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

rigged  forward  near  the  bows  (nearly  all  easterns  place 
their  oars  for  rowing  near  the  bow),  the  captain 
worked  with  another,  holding  the  tiller  with  his  feet, 
and  then  we  rowed  along  the  eastern  shore  until  after 
midnight,  when  the  men  moored  the  boat  with  grass 
ropes  to  a large  mangrove  tree. 

In  the  morning,  going  on  deck,  I found,  by  my 
compass,  we  were  rowing  up  a narrow  river  to  the 
northward , and  soon  after  we  arrived  at  a large 
village — of  a hundred  huts — where  the  men  signified 
we  were  to  remain  a single  night,  to  receive  on  board  a 
supply  of  rice  for  the  voyage.  After  breakfast  I took 
a long  walk  on  shore.  The  village — styled  upon  the 
map  Campong  Pluk — is  situated  upon  an  immense 
sandbank  by  a little  river  which  here  empties  itself 
into  the  lake.  The  miserable  huts  are  built  upon  piles 
eight  or  ten  feet  in  height,  for  even  the  sandbank  is 
submerged  with  water  during  a third  of  the  year.  The 
people,  mostly  Cambodians,  though  there  were  some 
Chinese,  are  all  boat-builders.  There  were  fifty  or  more 
boats,  in  different  stages  of  construction,  lying  upon 
rollers  upon  the  bank.  Native  tools,  though  of  rude 
make,  still  are  the  same  in  form  and  purpose  as  those 
used  by  Europeans ; easily  recognisable  were  the 
adzes,  axes,  planes,  saws,  and  chisels.  These  people 


SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 


261 


are  not  very  luxurious  feeders,  a little  fish  and  rice 
supplying  their  every  need.  As  I walked  through  the 
boulevard  of  the  village  some  women  were  weaving 
with  primitive  looms  the  coarse  cloth  from  which 
their  sole  and  ‘ confidential  ’ garment  is  made ; in  a 
small  temple  was  an  ancient  stone  image  with  four 
arms ; near  it  was  a boat,  over  a hundred  feet  in 
length,  cut  from  a single  tree.  The  villagers  were  most 
curious  ; wherever  the  farang  stopped  a great  crowd 
collected  at  once  around  him,  and  quite  a large  pro- 
cession followed  him  during  his  entire  walk  : many 
natives,  doubtless,  had  never  before  looked  upon  a 
‘ pale-face.’  The  crew  of  my  boat  had  been  on  shore 
all  day  preparing  for  the  voyage,  and  in  the  evening 
came  to  ask  that  they  might  remain  another  day,  in 
in  order  to  pound  their  paddy  (i.e.  remove  the  husks) ; 
this  was  refused,  for  ample  time  had  been  allowed 
them ; and,  besides,  the  Governor  of  Siamrap  had 
assured  the  farang  he  would  not  be  detained  any- 
where. 

At  Campong  Pluk  another  Chinaman  joined  us  as  a 
passenger.  When  we  reached  the  lake,  the  wind  being 
against  us,  the  boat  was  speedily  lashed  to  a tree.  I 
suggested  the  propriety  of  tacking,  as  the  wind  was 
not  what  sailors  term  ‘ dead  ahead,’  but  the  only  satis- 


262  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

faction  received  was  the  reply  that  the  boat  would 
upset,  and,  upon  second  thought,  I believed  the  old 
lumber-raft  would  do  so,  for  its  bottom  was  quite 
round  and  had  no  keel,  and  the  ‘ house  ’ made  it  very 
topheavy,  especially  as  there  was  no  cargo.  In  the 
evening  the  mast  and  sail  were  prepared  for  the 
expected  fair  land  breeze.  The  mast  was  about 
twelve  feet  above  the  roof  of  the  cabin ; the  sail  was 
lateen-shaped  and  made  of  mats.  The  land  breeze 
sprang  up  about  nine  and  continued  all  night,  we 
making  from  two  to  three  miles  an  hour. 

The  great  lake  of  Cambodia  styled  Thalaysap — the 
Sweet  Water  Lake — is  intersected  about  the  centre  of  its 
northern  half  by  the  13°  of  lat.  N.  and  104°  of  long.  E. ; 
it  extends  north-west  and  south-east.  Its  dimensions 
are  ninety  miles  in  length,  twenty-two  in  width  at  the 
widest  part,  and  eight  in  the  narrowest ; its  depth  is  not 
uniform  ; six  feet  would  perhaps  represent  the  average, 
although  in  some  places,  as  in  the  middle,  no  bottom  has 
been  found.  In  the  rainy  season  its  length  is  increased 
to  upwards  of  120  miles.  The  colour  of  the  water 
is  a dirty  yellow,  produced  by  so  many  small  streams 
emptying  themselves  into  it.  Current  there  is  but  little 
in  the  most  southerly  parts,  where  it  discharges  its 
waters  into  the  Mesap  river.  In  the  rainy  season  terrible 


SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 


263 


storms  are  sometimes  experienced,  but  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  year  there  is  usually  an  immense  fleet  of 
fishing  smacks,  which  cruise  about  the  lake.  Thalaysap 
is  fed  by  one  large  and  two  smaller  rivers  at  its  northern 
extremity,  by  a large  stream  on  the  east,  and  a small  one 
on  the  west  side,  and  doubtless  by  many  springs  and  the 
natural  drainage  of  so  low-lying  a district.  The  northern 
half  of  the  lake  is  owned  by  Siam  ; the  southern  belongs 
to  Cambodia,  which  kingdom  formerly  possessed  the 
greater  part  of  the  surrounding  region.  It  was  in  the 
year  1795  that  the  then  ruling  king  of  Siam  took  pos- 
session of  the  provinces  of  Battambong  and  Siamrap, 
as  a reparation  for  some  services  he  had  rendered  the 
prince  of  Cambodia — protecting  him  from  his  revolted 
subjects  and  causing  him  to  be  crowned  at  Oodong, 
the  old  capital. 

On  the  22nd  we  passed  the  boundaries  of  Siam 
and  entered  Cambodia.  The  wind  was  usually  ahead 
during  the  day,  but  changed  in  our  favour  at  night.  A 
little  of  the  western  shore,  or  rather  side,  of  the  lake 
was  visible,  though  there  was  no  land  to  be  seen — 
nothing  but  reeds  and  low,  scrubby  trees.  We  saw 
several  boats  like  our  own  sailing  slowly  along  up  the 
lake.  We  passed  a long  series  of  islands,  or  what 
would  probably  be  islands  later  in  the  season  ; they 


264  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


were  then  little  more  than  distinct  clumps  of  trees. 
Boat  life  in  Cambodia  is  rather  monotonous  where  one 
has  no  compagnon  de  voyage , and  cannot  speak  the 
language  of  the  people,  and  there  is  no  other  language 
understood  in  common.  There  is  no  place  to  walk ; 
there  is  no  awning  or  shelter  so  that  one  might  sit 
upon  deck,  and  the  only  recourse  left  is  to  lie  in  bed 
and  read,  or  sit  bent  double — for  the  deck  (the  roof 
of  the  cabin)  will  not  admit  an  erect  sitting  posture — 
and  write.  However,  with  reading,  and  writing,  and 
mapping  (at  present  there  are  no  correct  maps  of  that 
little-known  quarter  of  the  globe  in  existence,  and  on 
the  best  map  procurable  I found  some  of  the  towns 
placed  as  much  as  thirty  miles  out  of  position,  and  rivers 
whose  entire  course  varied  from  three  to  twelve  miles 
from  their  real  place),  completing  my  rough  sketches, 
writing  letters,  and  cooking — I became  quite  an  expert 
after  a week’s  practice  of  the  latter — I contrived  to 
instruct  and  amuse  myself,  and  pass  during  the  day 
the  slow  revolving  hours  away.  The  moon  was  nearly 
at  the  full,  and  so  the  evenings  were  usually  passed 
upon  deck,  lying  on  my  blanket,  smoking  a banana-leaf- 
covered  cheroot  of  native  tobacco  (made  by  the  Cochin 
Chinese  ‘ boy  ’),  gazing  at  the  stars,  listening  to  the 
nasal,  monosyllabic  utterances  of  the  Chinamen  and 


SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 


265 


the  equally  intelligible  blowings  of  huge  fish,  whistling 
for  simple  company’s  sake,  and  ever  thinking,  thinking 
of  the  dear  friends  then  so  far  away. 

One  night,  when  retiring  to  my  mosquito-netting- 
enveloped  mattress,  there  was  perceptible  a strong  smell 
of  burning  punk,  and  looking  into  the  men’s  cabin,  I 
found  a bunch  of  joss-sticks  smoking  before  a large 
piece  of  red  paper,  covered  with  Chinese  characters, 
which  was  pasted  against  the  side  of  the  boat ; there 
were  before  it  also  offerings  of  cake  and  fruit  and  a 
long  string  of  varicoloured  papers — wishes , no  doubt. 
This  may  have  been  part  of  the  ‘ ancestral  tablet  ’ 
worship,  so  much  esteemed  and  so  faithfully  performed 
by  the  Chinese,  or  it  may  only  have  been  supplications 
to  the  divinity  who  is  supposed  to  preside  over  navi- 
gation— ships  and  merchandise — for  another  bunch  of 
joss-sticks  was  also  burned  at  the  prow  every  evening. 
We  had  kept  steadily  on  our  course  to  the  south,  now 
sailing,  now  drifting,  now  rowing,  when  at  last  we 
perceived  a slight  favouring  current,  and  we  passed 
several  grass  marshes  and  many  rows  of  fish-poles, 
until,  almost  without  knowing  it — for  the  lake  had 
narrowed  so  gradually,  and  so  little  changed  was  the 
appearance  of  the  country — we  had  entered  the  river 
Mesap,  which  flows  past  Panompin,  and  just  below 


266  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


that  city  mingles  its  muddy  waters  with  those  of  the 
great  Makong  river.  The  Mesap  was  then  about  a mile 
in  width ; the  banks  were  below  water  and  covered 
with  the  densest  forest. 

We  sailed  by  several  villages,  averaging  ten  to  a 


BANKS  OF  THE  RIVER  MESAP,  CAMBODIA 


hundred  huts  each.  Before  these  were  large  platforms 
used  for  drying  fish,  and  there  were  also  long  rows  of 
poles  for  hanging  nets  upon.  As  we  proceeded  south 
the  banks  of  the  river  became  higher,  and  we  saw  large 
towns ; one  of  them,  built  upon  a bank  thirty  feet 


SIAMRAP  TO  PANOMPIN 


267 


above  the  water,  must  have  contained  as  many  as  five 
hundred  houses,  that  of  the  governor  and  some  others 
being  superior  in  outward  appearance  to  the  majority 
met  with  in  Siam.  One  day  we  saw  some  natives 
hauling  a net  about  five  hundred  feet  in  length ; the 
inside  of  the  net  was  perfectly  alive  with  fish  of  every 
size,  some  of  them  being  large.  Many  towns  seemed 
devoted  exclusively  to  the  fish  business — drying  and 
salting  fish,  and  manufacturing  fish-oil.  Some  of  the 
fish  caught  in  this  river  are  eight  or  ten  feet  in  length 
and  three  feet  in  thickness.  Immense  quantities  of 
fish  are  caught  in  Lake  Thalaysap  and  the  Mesap  and 
Makong  rivers,  and  being  smoked  and  salted  are  ex- 
ported to  almost  every  country  of  Asia.  From  the 
heads  of  the  largest  variety  fish-oil  is  made,  and  from 
their  bodies  the  condiment  so  highly  prized  by  the 
Siamese,  and  styled  by  them  namphrik.  These  fishing- 
towns  occur  every  four  or  six  miles,  and  seem  to 
consist  of  but  a single  row  of  huts,  facing  the  river. 
The  first  wat  seen  in  Cambodia  resembled  those  of 
Siam ; there  was  a large  image-house  and  a pyra- 

i 

midal  tower  or  spire.  We  passed  the  mouth  of  a 
small  river  upon  which,  fifteen  miles  from  the 
Mesap,  the  Cochin  Chinese  boy  signified  to  me,  was 
the  large  town  or  city  of  Oodong,  which  was  the 


268  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

capital  of  Cambodia  until  within  the  last  three  or 
four  years. 

The  banks  of  the  river  afterwards  became  very  high* 
and  were  cultivated  in  many  places  with  melons, 
cucumbers,  salad,  &c.  The  river  was  full  of  huge  nets, 
the  bamboo  floats  of  which  were  so  thick  that  we  had 
to  use  the  greatest  caution  to  avoid  them,  the  current 
also  being  strong.  The  forests  became  quite  thin,  a 
great  number  of  the  trees  having  evidently  been  appro 
priated  for  firewood.  The  heat  increased  ; the  nights 
were  close  and  uncomfortable  and  mosquitoes  in 
myriads  abounded.  And  so  we  went  on  until  the 
25th  inst.,  when  we  reached  the  city  of  Panompin, 
situated  upon  the  right  bank  of  the  Mesap  river — here 
half  a mile  in  width — in  about  lat.  11°  30'  N.,  and 
long.  105°  E. ; but  the  rare  and  varied  sights  of  this 
day  must  be  recounted  in  other  chapters. 


PANOMPIN 


269 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


PANOMPIN 

The  general  appearance  of  the  city  of  Panompin  — 
Mountain  of  Gold  — is  dull,  nothing  breaking  the 
uniformity  of  its  bamboo  huts  excepting  a slender, 
pyramidal  pagoda,  one  of  the  palace  buildings, 
and  two  blocks  of  brick  stores,  recently  built  by 
the  King;  it  resembles  many  of  the  villages  along 
the  banks  of  the  Mesap,  only  differing  from  them 
in  size — in  number  of  dwellings  and  shops.  The 
water  in  the  river  was  very  low  at  the  time  of 
my  visit,  and  thus  the  city  seemed  built  upon  a 
bluff  fully  thirty  feet  in  height  ; there  were  no 
floating  houses  to  be  seen,  and  not  a great  number  of 
boats,  most  of  which  were  owned  and  manned  by 
Chinese.  Part  of  Panompin,  to  the  south,  is  built 
upon  an  island,  and  nearly  opposite  this  the  river 
which  drains  Lake  Thalaysap — the  Mesap — enters  the 
great  Makong,  one  of  the  largest  rivers  of  the  world, 
which  rises  near  the  confines  of  Tibet,  and,  after  a 


270  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

course  of  1,700  miles,  empties  itself  into  the  sea  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  Cochin  China,  and  which  at  a 
distance  of  over  200  miles  from  its  mouth  is  three 
miles  in  width.  Another  and  not  a small  portion  of 
Panompin  is  built  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
to  which  ferry-boats  are  continually  crossing.  As  we 
sailed  slowly  down  the  river,  the  first  objects  that 
attracted  my  attention  were  the  small  but  neat 
buildings — chapel  and  schools — of  the  Eoman  Catholic 
mission.  Next  we  passed  an  old  dilapidated  steam- 
boat, and  back  of  this,  on  the  shore,  waved  the 
national  Cambodian  flag — blue  with  a red  border,  and 
emblems  of  peace  and  plenty  in  the  centre  ground. 
Then  came  the  barracks,  where  are  stationed  a com- 
pany of  French  troops,  and  the  residence  of  the  Com- 
mandant, or  Protecteur , as  he  is  styled,  who  represents 
French  interests  versus  His  Majesty’s.  Anchored  in 
the  stream,  opposite  the  Commandant’s  residence,  was 
a small  gunboat,  with  a huge  tricolour  floating  from 
the  stern,  another  from  the  jibboom  end,  and  still 
another  from  the  captain’s  gig ; there  could  surely 
be  no  mistake  about  the  nationality  of  this  craft. 
Farther  down  the  river  could  be  seen  a brig,  a war 
steamer,  and  a small  despatch  boat ; these  were 
anchored  abreast  of  the  palace,  and  belonged  to  the 
King. 


PANOMTIN 


271 


Landing  near  the  barracks,  I went  thither  in  search 
of  an  interpreter — some  one  who  could  perchance 
speak  English.  My  meagre  diction  was  fortunately 
understood,  and  a Cochin  Chinese  boy  was  sent  with  me 
to  a store  near  at  hand,  wrhere  a native  of  the  Isle  of. 
Jersey,  named  Edwards,  received  me  kindly ; offered  to 
‘ put  me  up  ’ and  to  render  me  besides  any  assistance  in 
his  power.  Edwards’  house  was  simply  a large  shed 
divided  into  four  or  five  rooms,  only  one  of  which, 
however,  was  occupied ; the  walls  of  this  one — at  once 
sitting,  dining,  and  bedroom — were  embellished  with 
fowling-pieces,  revolvers,  powder-horns,  &c.;  the  side- 
board supported  an  immense  array  of  brandy,  claret, 
and  beer  bottles — empty  ones  for  the  most  part — and 
a small  table  in  one  corner  was  covered  with  Crimean 
shirts,  hats,  shot-bags,  boxes  of  caps,  old  newspapers, 
and  pipes  in  endless  profusion  and  confusion.  My 
baggage  was  brought  from  the  boat  and  deposited  in 
one  of  the  rooms,  which  evidently  had  not  been  swept 
or  cleaned  since  the  erection  of  the  building  at  a 
remote  epoch.  Some  planks  placed  upon  a couple  of 
‘ saw-horses,’  and  my  mattress  laid  thereon,  made  a 
bed — and  what  more  could  one  expect  in  Central 
Cambodia?  Edwards  appeared  to  be  a clever,  good- 
natured,  warm-hearted  fellow.  He  had  been  a sailor, 


272  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

was  many  years  in  the  Hong  Kong  and  Calcutta  trade, 
and  had  been  in  Panompin  but  a year  and  a half.  He 
had  a very  pretty  Annamite  wife,  who  was  also  at  the 
same  time  his  cook — taught  by  himself.  In  the  after- 
noon a friend  staying  with  Edwards  kindly  offered  to 
procure  for  me  an  interpreter  and  to  guide  me  to  the 
Prime  Minister’s  residence. 

At  two  o’clock  we  started  forth,  taking  the  main 
street,  south,  towards  the  palace.  The  city  extends 
along  the  bank  of  the  river  for  a distance  of  about 
three  miles,  and  perhaps  not  more  than  half  a mile  at 
the  farthest  into  the  interior ; on  that  side  there  is  a 
low  embankment  of  earth,  erected  recently — at  the 
time  of  the  Annamite  trouble.  There  is  no  wall  about 
Panompin,  not  even  around  the  palace.  The  main  road 
runs  north  and  south  along  the  river ; there  are  a few 
cross-roads,  but  this  is  the  street.  It  is  about  thirty  feet 
wide,  macadamised  with  broken  brick  and  sand,  and 
lined  throughout  its  entire  length  with  little  bamboo 
shops,  the  greater  part  owned  by  Chinese,  many  by 
Klings,  and  the  remainder  by  Cambodians  and  Cochin 
Chinese.  Many  of  these  shops  are  ‘ gambling  hells 
some  are  used  by  opium-smokers  ; the  Klings  offer  for 
sale  miscellaneous  European  goods,  and  the  Cambodians 
silks  and  cottons : the  Cambodians  are  celebrated  for 


PAJVOMPIN 


273 


their  manufacture  of  silk.  The  population  of  Panompin 
is  about  20,000,  and  embraces  Chinese,  Cochin  Chinese, 
Klings,  and  Siamese,  besides  Cambodians.  As  we 
walked  along,  the  street  was  crowded  with  natives. 
The  Cochin  Chinese  were  easily  distinguishable  from 
the  Cambodians  by  their  height,  which  is  less  than 
that  of  the  latter ; their  frame,  which  is  usually  not  so 
muscular ; by  their  features,  which  incline  more  to  the 
Mongolian  cast ; and  their  manner  of  wearing  the  hair 
long  and  fastened  in  a knot  or  twist  behind.  The 
Cochin  Chinese  women  were  clothed  in  gowns  which 
descended  to  the  knees,  and  they  seemed  to  be  much 
better-looking  than  Siamese  women. 

We  called  first  upon  the  favourite  interpreter  of  the 
King — a native  of  Manilla,  named  Miriano,  who  spoke 
English  very  well  — to  engage  his  services  in  the 
expected  interview  with  His  Majesty.  We  next  visited 
the  chief  aide-de-camp  of  the  King — an  English  Jew — 
and  found  him  busy  trying  on  a new  military  uniform — 
covered  with  an  enormous  amount  of  gold  lace,  and 
with  a pair  of  gilt  epaulets  fit  for  a field  marshal — 
which  he  had  had  made  in  Hong  Kong,  to  be  worn 
during  the  approaching  fete.  It  appears  that  about 
ten  days  from  now  a grand  fete  is  to  be  celebrated  in 
Panompin,  on  the  occasion  of  the  hair-cutting  of  the 


274  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

Princess,  daughter  of  the  King,  upon  her  coming  of 
age.  His  Majesty  is  making  grand  preparations  for 
this  fete , intending  to  eclipse  all  past  attempts  of  this 
nature  in  Cambodia  or  even  in  Siam.  The  officials 
and  many  private  individuals  of  Saigon  are  invited  to 
be  present  and  take  part  in  the  ceremonies. 

Leaving  the  house  of  the  aide-de-camp,  we  proceeded 
to  that  of  the  Prime  Minister,  who  is  a brother  of 
the  King.  His  dwelling  and  grounds  are  pleasantly 
situated  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  near  the  centre  of 
the  city,  and  present  a decidedly  European  aspect. 
The  audience  or  reception  hall  is  about  sixty  feet  long 
by  thirty  wide,  and  extends  upward  to  the  tile-covered 
roof.  The  floor  is  covered  with  fine  matting ; two  or 
three  cane  chairs  stand  upon  one  side ; the  walls  are 
adorned  with  about  twenty  looking-glasses  and  a dozen 
engravings  rather  fitted  for  a bar  room  ; upon  each  of 
the  centre  posts  are  clocks — four  in  number,  only  two 
of  which,  however,  were  going.  The  front  of  the 
reception  hall  was  open,  and  was  approached  by  three 
flights  of  stairs  ; the  garden  in  front  was  filled  with 
beautiful  flowers  and  plants.  Sending  in  my  letter 
from  the  Governor  of  Siamrap,  the  Minister  soon 
appeared,  and  after  the  customary  salutations  sat 
down,  broke  the  seal,  and  commenced  to  read  it  aloud. 


PANOMPIN 


275 


He  was  an  old  gentleman,  well  preserved — the  affairs 
of  state  probably  not  demanding  any  great  physical 
sacrifice — and  he  was  clad  in  nought  but  a cotton 
panoung.  We  had  no  interpreter,  but  understood  the 
Minister  to  imply  that  at  five  o’clock  I could  obtain 
an  audience  with  His  Majesty.  Returning  to  Miriano’s 
house,  my  friend  left  me,  and  then  the  interpreter  and 
myself  proceeded  to  the  palace. 

As  already  mentioned,  there  is  no  wall  around  the 
palace  buildings,  but  one  is  to  be  built  as  soon  as 
possible ; the  exterior  limit  of  the  royal  abode  is  at 
present  marked  by  a simple  row  of  brick  barracks 
upon  the  front  side,  which  faces  the  river,  and  bamboo 
huts  upon  the  others ; the  wall  will  be,  when  built, 
about  a quarter  of  a mile  square.  There  is  an  open 
space,  perhaps  five  hundred  yards  in  width,  which 
extends  around,  but  from  without  little  can  be  seen 
excepting  the  roof  of  the  new  ambassadors’  audience- 
hall,  the  palace,  and  an  artificial  hill  now  building 
for  the  fete.  We  entered  by  a private  side  gate — for 
access  to  the  palace  enclosure  may  be  had  at  all  times 
— and  saw  before  us  the  unfinished  hill ; but  I was 
hardly  prepared  for  the  scene  presented  to  my  eyes  in 
respect  to  the  palace.  Imagine  in  a Cambodian  town 
of  bamboo  huts,  if  you  can,  a two-storey  and  a half 


276  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

brick  ancl  stucco  house  of  the  most  modern  and 
elegant  construction,  with  a double- walled  entrance 
and  columned  verandahs,  painted  yellow,  with  white 
borders  and  trimmings.  Manilla  men,  with  glistening 
muskets  and  swords,  were  standing  on  guard  in  the 
vestibule  as,  preceded  by  the  interpreter,  I ascended 
the  marble  steps,  passed  through  a crowd  of  prostrate 
nobles  and  along  a paved  hall,  the  ceiling  and  walls  of 
which  were  beautifully  frescoed,  the  latter  bearing,  in 
bright  colours,  the  crown  and  royal  cipher  ‘ N.' — for 
‘ Norodom  I.,’  probably  after  the  western  Napoleonic 
style,  for  since  the  King  has  become  a French 
protege  he  imitates  France  in  everything. 


HIS  MAJESTY  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA  277 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA 

In  a room  about  the  centre  of  the  palace,  at  a small 

round  table,  sat  the  King,  a pleasant-looking  person 

thirty-six  years  of  age,  as  he  afterwards  told  me.  He 
was  a little  man  with  intelligent  and  expressive 
features ; teeth  blackened  from  the  use  of  betel, 
wearing  his  hair  after  the  Siamese  fashion,  the  head 
shaved  excepting  a small  tuft  upon  the  crown ; upon 
the  lip  Avas  a thin  moustache ; and  he  was  dressed  in  a 
white  linen  jacket,  with  gold  buttons,  and  a silk 
panoung , his  feet  were  bare,  and  around  his  neck  was  a 
fine  gold  Avatch  chain,  upon  which  Avere  strung  some 
rings,  one  or  tAvo  of  them  set  with  \Tery  large  diamonds. 
Upon  the  table  Avas  a most  elegant  and  valuable  set  of 
frosted  and  engraved  gold  vases,  betel  and  tobacco 
boxes,  cigar-holders,  bottles,  and  pomade  boxes  ; some 
large  atlases  and  superbly  bound  albums,  tAvo  volumes, 
of  a pictorial  history  of  England,  a red  cloth  military 
cap  very  heavily  embroidered  Avith  gold  thread,  and 


278  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


some  curiosities.  I conversed  with  the  King,  through 
the  interpreter,  for  upwards  of  an  hour,  principally 
concerning  Burma  and  Siam,  though  the  subjects  of 
Panompin  and  Cambodia  were  also  introduced.  His 
present  Majesty  is  a son  of  one  of  the  brothers  who,  in 
the  last  war  which  Siam  had  with  Cambodia,  were 
retained  in  Bangkok  as  hostages  or  sureties  for  the 
good  behaviour  of  the  reigning  monarch.  And  having 
been  born,  brought  up,  and  educated  in  Bangkok, 
His  Majesty  knew  very  well  many  of  the  people  I 
had  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  there.  The  King 
seemed  much  pleased  at  my  telling  him  his  palace 
was  superior  in  every  respect,  excepting  size,  to  that 
at  Bangkok  (though  the  new  palace  now  being  built 
in  the  latter  city  will  probably  be,  when  completed,  the 
most  splendid  edifice  of  the  kind  in  Asia) ; it  seems  to 
be  his  great  desire  to  excel  the  King  of  Siam  in  every- 
thing. 

After  asking  my  age,  nationality,  and  business 
(stereotyped  questions  in  the  East),  the  King  remarked 
that  I had  fortunately  arrived  at  Panompin  in  time 
to  witness  the  greatest  fete  ever  celebrated  either  in 
Cambodia  or  Siam,  that  he  was  himself  to  perform  the 
religious  ceremony  of  cutting  the  hair  of  his  royal 
daughter  on  the  summit  of  the  artificial  * mountain  ‘ 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA  270 


then  in  process  of  construction  in  front  of  the  palace. 
His  Majesty  told  me  that  last  October  he,  in  company 
with  the  French  Governor  of  Saigon,  had  visited  the 
ruins  of  Angkor,  and  that  he  was  very  much  astonished 
at  their  grandeur  and  beauty ; he  believed  that  Angkor 
was  built  1,400  years  ago.  My  present  to  the  King 
was  a fine  gold-mounted  revolver,  in  a case  with  proper 
appurtenances,  and  a large  brass  box  of  cartridges.  In 
return  His  Majesty  said  that  if  there  was  anything  in 
the  palace  or  city  which  I wished,  it  was  only  necessary 
to  acquaint  him  with  the  fact  to  possess  it ; this  was 
rather  obscure  and  equivocal,  so  I merely  bowed  in 
reply.  He  desired  me  to  come  and  see  him  whenever 
convenient,  at  least  twice  before  leaving,  if  I did  not 
determine  to  remain  for  the  fete , and  in  the  meantime 
he  would  think  of  some  gift  for  me  as  a keepsake 
from  himself.  Seeing  me  peering  rather  curiously  into 
some  of  the  adjoining  rooms,  the  King  asked  if  I would 
not  like  to  look  through  the  palace  ; the  foreigner  was 
only  too  happy,  and  His  Majesty  graciously  led  the 
way  into  the  parlour. 

The  palace  is  but  just  completed.  It  was  planned 
and  its  erection  was  superintended  by  a French  archi- 
tect, but  it  was  built  throughout  by  Cambodian  work- 
men. The  construction  and  furnishing  is  thoroughly 

23 


280  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


European  in  nearly  every  part.  Entering  at  the  grand 
central  door,  the  hall  leads  direct  to  the  reception- 
room,  and  this  opens  into  the  parlour.  Upon  the  right 
of  these  rooms  is  the  dining-room,  and  upon  the  left 
the  library,  staircase,  and  billiard-room — Billiards  ? Yes, 
verily,  and  the  King  of  Cambodia  plays  a ‘ good  safe 
game.’  In  the  rear  of  this  building  are  the  apartments 
of  the  harem,  and  not  at  all  ill-looking  were  many  of 
the  saffron-powdered  damsels  the  stranger  chanced  to 
espy.  The  ceiling  and  walls  of  the  parlour  were  frescoed 
in  as  fine  style  as  many  in  Grosvenor  Square  or  Fifth 
Avenue ; upon  the  floor  lay  a velvet  carpet ; the 
window  frames  held  panes  of  stained  glass ; upon  a 
large  bow-window  were  the  King’s  arms  and  name — 
Ong  Somdetch  Norodom  Phranarowdom — and  below 
the  word  ‘ Campuchia  ’ (Kamphuxa,  or  Cambodia). 
The  walls  were  hung  with  elegant  mirrors  and  paintings ; 
upon  the  marble-top  centre  table  was  a set  of  gold 
chewing  (betel)  and  smoking  apparatus;  upon  side 
tables  were  costly  clocks,  barometers,  Chinese  and 
Japanese  carved  ivory  goods,  bronzes  and  vases ; and 
from  the  ceiling  depended  a beautiful  chandelier.  There 
is,  however,  no  gasometer  yet  working  in  Panompin,  but 
surely  it  would  not  be  a very  long  step  in  advance  of 
the  numerous  modern  importations  of  the  palace. 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA  281 


The  dining-room  contained  black  walnut  furniture, 
and  upon  the  side-boards  were  massive  silver  table 
services.  On  the  walls  were  large  steel  engravings  of 
‘ Napoleon  III.  at  Solferino,’  and  ‘ Prince  MalakofF  at 
Sebastopol.’  Upon  one  of  the  tables  was  a music-box, 
about  four  feet  long  by  two  in  width — a magnificent 
instrument,  manufactured  in  Paris.  His  Majesty  having- 
obtained  the  key,  wound  it  up  for  our  amusement.  It 
played  eight  selections  from  popular  Italian  operas  in 
a sort  of  orchestral  style — there  were  flutes,  drums, 
cymbals,  and  bells.  But  the  most  curious  and  wonderful 
part  was  a bird,  about  two  inches  in  length,  which 
stood  in  a small  grotto  of  leaves  in  the  side  of  the  box, 
and  which  would  turn  to  the  right  or  left,  raise  its 
wings,  open  its  mouth — disclosing  the  tongue — all  in 
correct  time  to  the  music.  It  was  a perfect  marvel  of 
mechanical  skill,  and  would  bear  the  closest  inspection. 
This  bird  was  covered  with  fine  feathers  of  natural  hue, 
and  no  joints  could  be  detected  even  when  it  turned 
its  head.  Thinking  it  might  prove  an  interesting- 
novelty,  I showed  the  King  the  calendar — dials  of  the 
days  of  the  week  and  of  the  month — upon  my  watch ; 
but  he  had  one  of  that  kind,  he  said,  and  having 
fetched  it,  strange  to  say,  the  watch  was  made  by  the 
same  firm  in  Geneva  as  my  own.  But  there  were 


282  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

some  improvements  other  than  mine  possessed,  and 
some  differences  in  their  mounting.  The  King’s  watch 
told  also  the  month  and  the  stages  of  the  moon — new, 
full,  and  the  quarters — and  was  besides  a repeater. 
The  cases  were  most  elegantly  jewelled;  upon  the 
front  was  a row  of  large  pearls  round  the  rim,  and 
within  this  circle  was  the  crown,  composed  of  rubies, 
sapphires,  topazes,  and  emeralds,  and  below  the  royal 
cypher  H.  in  diamonds  of  different  sizes ; a large 
diamond  was  set  in  the  extremity  of  the  ‘ stem-winder  ; ’ 
the  reverse  had  also  a circle  of  pearls,  and  within  it 
the  coat  of  arms  or  seal  of  His  Majesty  most  elabo- 
rately carved  and  engraved — in  low  relief — and  in 
Etruscan  gold.  This  watch  was  made,  at  the  King’s 
order,  in  Geneva  and  Paris,  and  cost  5,000  francs. 

We  next  went  into  the  billiard-room,  which  was  gaily 
decorated  with  what  might  be  styled  ‘ rather  fast  ’ 
pictures  ; upon  one  of  the  tables  was  another  gold  betel 
set,  one  of  the  urns  being  nearly  of  the  size  of  a half- 
bushel measure  and  entirely  of  gold.  The  Cambodians 
and  Siamese  will  possess  none  but  the  genuine  metal. 
Some  of  their  articles  they  stain  red,  others  a deep 
yellow  ; both  are  beautiful,  and  the  engraved  arabesque 
work  is  superb  and  very  different  from  anything  we 
have  in  the  West.  Crossing  the  hall  we  next  entered 


QUEEN  OF  CAMBODIA  AND  ROYAL  CHILDREN 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA  283 


the  library,  which  is  furnished  in  green  throughout; 
the  walls  were  covered  with  green  paper ; the  Brussels 
carpet  was  of  a dark  green,  and  the  leather-seated  and 
backed  chairs  were  of  the  same  colour.  Upon  the 
walls  were  large  maps  of  the  different  continents  of 
the  world  and  fine  engravings  of  Napoleon  III. 
In  one  corner  was  a glass  case,  containing  a small 
collection  of  books  upon  general  literature  in  the 
French  language,  uniformly  bound  in  red  morocco, 
with  the  King’s  arms  stamped  upon  their  covers.  In 
another  comer  was  a large  geographical  globe  and 
some  portfolios  of  maps  and  charts,  and  in  another  a 
black  walnut  writing-desk,  with  proper  materiel.  A 
magnificent  bronze  clock  adorned  the  mantelpiece, 
and  upon  the  centre  table,  besides  large  piles  of  books 
and  a student’s  lamp,  were  two  marble  statuettes — 
busts,  the  one  of  (wonders  will  never  cease)  Goethe  and 
the  other  of  Schiller.  The  King  seemed  to  take  much 
pride  in  calling  attention  to  various  articles  in  this 
room,  though  he  probably  understood  their  uses  or 
applications  less  than  the  contents  of  any  other  room  of 
the  palace. 

His  Majesty  then  led  the  way  upstairs,  where  the 
rooms  were  of  the  same  size  and  arrangement  as  those 
below.  The  parlour  and  sitting-room  were  but  little 


284  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

less  elegantly  furnished  than  those  on  the  first  floor 
Two  of  the  rooms  contained  small  glass  cases,  in  which 
were  placed  gold  and  silver  fete  and  dinner  services 
and  the  European  cut-glass  dinner  sets  ; they  were  fur- 
nished with  marble-seated  sofas,  clocks,  and  mirrors, 
and  the  ubiquitous  gold  betel  and  tobacco  utensils.  The 
two  remaining  apartments  were  used  as  bedchambers  : 
that  of  the  King  was  rather  plain  in  its  furnishing  ; the 
bedstead  was  of  black  walnut,  similar  to  our  own ; the 
pillows  only  were  different,  being  little,  hard,  square 
bags,  with  gold-embroidered  ends.  The  King  pre- 
sented me  with  a small  lace  bag,  which  contained,  he 
said,  a dozen  different  kinds  of  flowers,  and  with  similar 
ones  his  bed  was  always  perfumed,  after  the  Cam- 
bodian fashion.  The  toilet  service  was  of  gold ; the 
floor  was  covered  with  matting,  and  a few  engravings 
hung  upon  the  walls.  The  other  bedroom  was  similar 
in  contents,  except  that  some  of  the  pictures  were 
rather  plain-spoken ; the  toilet  service  of  this  chamber 
was  silver,  manufactured  in  European  style.  Then  we 
all  went  up  to  the  observatory,  where  a small  telescope 
is  mounted,  and  stepping  out  upon  the  roof  enjoyed  an 
excellent  view  of  the  river  and  adjacent  country ; but 
little  of  the  city,  however,  could  be  seen,  owing  to  the 
dense  vegetation.  An  iron  ladder  leads  to  a small 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODLA  285 


platform  still  higher.  His  Majesty  did  not  wish  to 
ascend,  but  the  interpreter  and  myself  mounted,  and 
were  rewarded  by  a little  more  extended  view.  While 
upon  the  roof  the  King  reiterated  again  and  again  that 
in  building  this  palace  he  only  and  solely  wished  to 
surpass  any  edifice  of  like  nature  in  the  city  of 
Bangkok,  and  it  must  be  admitted  he  had  suc- 
ceeded. 

The  strong  contrast  between  the  bamboo  huts  of  the 
city  and  the  grandeur  of  the  palace  is  painfully  appa- 
rent, and  for  the  expenses  of  beautifying  the  latter 
His  Majesty  is  said  to  appropriate  private  property 
without  indemnification.  Still  the  King  deserves  great 
credit  for  his  remarkable  energy,  his  adoption  of 
Eiu’opean  ideas  and  notions ; notwithstanding  he  is 
said  to  despise  his  subjects  now  he  no  longer  fears 
them,  to  mock  at  Budha  when  he  is  in  the  mood,  and 
to  tread  under  foot  the  ancient  etiquette.  Norodom 
has  reigned  now  for  about  eleven  years,  and  his  rule 
has  been  in  the  main  just ; he  is  much  liked  by  the 
people  generally,  which,  perhaps,  is  as  great  praise  as 
any  ruler  could  wish  or  could  obtain.  Since  my  visit 
the  King  has  left  his  capital  and  country,  and,  deter- 
mined to  see  something  of  the  great  world  for  himself, 
voyaged  to  Hong  Kong,  and  on  to  Shanghae,  and,  I 


286  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


believe,  Pekin.  Is  not  progress  in  the  East  quite  as 
rapid  and  wonderful  as  in  the  West  P 

We  descended  from  the  observatory  and  walked 
with  the  King  acrbss  the  square  to  the  artificial  moun- 
tain. This  was  a huge  affair,  as  high  as  the  palace, 
built  of  bamboo  and  covered  with  stout  pasteboard, 
which  was  coloured  to  represent  the  lower  section, 
stone;  the  next,  silver;  and  the  upper,  gold.  It  tapers 
gradually  to  the  top,  to  which  a path  winds,  some- 
times passing  through  arches,  and  tunnels,  and  grottoes, 
and  valleys,  and  the  whole  exterior  is  covered  with 
plants  of  various  kinds  in  pots  and  boxes,  and  wooden 
and  clay  figures  of  men  and  animals  were  soon  to  be 
added  to  its  manifold  attractions.  Upon  the  summit 
is  a wooden  platform,  and  here  the  King,  with  due 
solemnity  and  ceremony,  will  cut  the  hair  of  the 
Princess  his  daughter.  On  one  side  of  the  ‘ mountain,’ 
upon  large  mats  spread  on  the  ground,  sat  the  nobles 
and  chief  men  of  the  kingdom,  assembled  to  meet  the 
King,  who  is  there  accustomed  of  an  evening  to  confer 
with  them  on  matters  affecting  the  public  wTeal  or 
woe,  but  at  that  time  on  the  absorbing  topic  of  the 
approaching  fete.  Many  of  the  nobles  followed  us  to 
the  top  of  the  ‘ mountain,’  and  there  the  King  talked 
with  them  in  a very  jolly,  familiar  sort  of  way,  smoking 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA  287 

all  the  while  a Manilla  cheroot  as  much  as  eight  inches 
in  length ; in  fact,  His  Majesty  smokes  incessantly — 
now  a green-leaved,  now  a dry  native,  afterwards  a 
German  cigar,  then  a Manilla,  &c. 


ANNA  MITE  FEMALE 


Returning  to  the  palace,  I observed  that  all  the 
guards — some  fifty  or  sixty  in  number — were  natives 
of  the  Philippine  Islands.  His  Majesty  had  but  few 
troops  in  commission ; these  were  formerly  instructed 


288  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

by  a French  officer,  but  he  having  been  dismissed  the 
service  for  some  irregularities  of  conduct,  military 
affairs  were  at  a very  low  ebb  at  Panompin.  I then 
took  leave  of  the  King,  very  grateful  for  his  kind  re- 
ception. Arriving  at  Edwards’  house,  there  was  awaiting 
me  an  excellent  dinner,  cooked  in  the  French  style  by  his 
smart  little  Annamite  wife.  And  afterwards  a native 
cheroot  closed  a very  laborious  but  intensely  interesting 
day — one  that  had  amply  repaid  the  many  discomforts 
of  the  boat  voyage  from  Campong  Pink. 


PANOMPIN,  THE  CAPITAL  OP  CAMBODIA 


WALKS  ABOUT  THE  CITY 


28y 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

WALKS  ABOUT  THE  CITY 

One  day  we  walked  down  the  main  road,  past  the 
palace,  and  turning  to  the  west,  soon  found  ourselves 
at  the  embankment  which  boimds  Panompin  on  that 
side,  and  although  but  a stone’s  throw  from  the  most 
thickly  inhabited  part  of  the  city,  still  so  dense  were 
the  banana  and  cocoa-nut  trees  that  not  a house  was 
visible.  The  parapet  of  earth  is  about  fifteen  feet 
high,  and  the  same  in  width,  being  faced  on  both  outer 
and  inner  sides  with  large  bamboo  sticks.  Upon  it  are 
erected  the  telegraph  poles  and  the  wire  which  runs 
from  the  Protecteurs  house  here  to  Saigon ; there  is  a 
branch  line  from  the  former  to  the  palace,  so  that  any 
surplus  information  or  proper  (i.e.  for  the  King  to 
know)  news  may  be  sent  to  His  Majesty.  But  few 
houses  stand  without  the  embankment,  and  not  more 
than  a quarter  of  a mile  distant  is  the  virgin  forest. 

In  rear  of  the  centre  of  the  city,  upon  a high  arti- 
ficial mound,  stands  a very  old  pagoda,  some  image- 


290  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

houses,  small  temples,  and  tombs.  The  pagoda  is  the 
only  one  at  Panompin,  and  is  in  most  wretched  con- 
dition. In  one  of  the  image-houses  was  an  immense 
gilded  Budha,  with  mother-of-pearl  eyes  and  finger  nails; 
in  another  was  the  large  gilded  figure  of  a king,  and 
a lofty  four-sided  shrine,  containing  four  little  Budhas. 
The  pagoda  and  the  great  mound  were  built  of  dimi- 
nutive bricks ; from  the  summit  of  the  latter  an  excellent 
view  of  that  part  of  the  river  upon  the  opposite  bank, 
including  the  custom  house  and  the  great  Makong 
river,  may  be  had.  There  are  but  two  or  three  priests 
in  charge  of  the  old  pagoda  ; in  fact,  there  are  but  few 
priests  and  temples  in  Panompin,  though  the  religion 
here — the  Budhist — is  the  same  as  that  professed  by 
the  Siamese.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  palace — 
there  is  a stand  for  musicians  near  the  entrance — to  hear 
the  King’s  brass  band.  A selection  of  lively  dance 
music,  concluding  with  the  Cambodian  National  Hymn, 
was  played  by  the  band — Manilla  men — of  fourteen 
pieces. 

Early  on  one  morning  of  my  stay  at  Panompin, 
Miriano,  the  interpreter,  called  to  offer  his  services  for 
a visit  to  some  of  the  public  and  royal  buildings  within 
the  palace  enclosure.  We  first  looked  in  at  some  of  the 
machine  shops,  where,  with  French  overseers,  natives 


WALKS  ABOUT  THE  CITY 


291 


were  working  a saw-mill  and  a brass  turning-lathe,  and 
where  there  were  forges  for  making  metal  vessels  and 
musical  instruments.  Directly  before  the  palace  building 
is  the  private  office  of  the  King,  a handsomely  fur- 
nished little  room  where  His  Majesty  receives  all 
visitors  on  business ; behind  it  are  the  reception  halls, 
in  process  of  erection  and  nearly  completed.  These 
buildings,  built  of  brick,  with  tiled  roofs  and  gaily 
ornamented  in  the  Siamese  style,  are  quite  imposing. 

The  ambassadors’  grand  audience  hall  is  a room  a 
hundred  feet  in  length,  forty  in  width,  and  thirty  in 
height,  and  extending  through  its  entire  length  are 
two  rows  of  massive  square  pillars  ; the  ceiling  is  to  be 
finished  in  blue  and  gold.  Not  far  from  this  magnificent 
building  is  the  supreme  court — a sala  open  upon  three 
sides,  and  'having  at  one  end,  for  the  King’s  use,  an 
elegant  sofa,  attached  to  which  was  a patent  breech- 
loading rifle  and  a Cambodian  spear,  to  be  used  by  His 
Majesty  in  case  of  emergency  or  necessity  for  self- 
protection. There  exists  what  is  called  ‘ a board  of 
judges,’  but  no  case  of  importance  can  be  tried  without 
the  presence  of  the  King,  from  whose  decision  there  is 
no  appeal.  Near  and  parallel  to  the  supreme  court  is 
the  royal  theatre — a large  shed  open  upon  three  sides, 

the  floor  covered  with  mats,  and  with  a miserably 

24 


292  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


painted  scene  at  one  end,  though  it  is  not  here  that 
the  plays  are  performed,  as  with  us,  a narrow  gallery 
just  beneath  the  roof  being  reserved  for  the  lacon 
(theatricals)  ; a sola  near  by  is  set  apart  for  the  ladies 
of  the  harem. 

There  are  several  small  brick  houses  within  the 
palace  enclosure — the  residences  of  princes,  bro thers 
of  the  King,  and  some  of  the  higher  nobles.  In  the 
barracks  were  about  two  hundred  stand  of  arms — 
breech-loaders  with  sword-bayonets  attached.  In 
the  King’s  stables  there  were  three  carriages — a 
barouche,  a rockaway,  and  a buggy — not  in  very  good 
repair — and  a dozen  or  more  horses.  Among  the 
latter  were  two  beautiful  greys,  presented  by  H.I.M. 
Napoleon  III.  It  is  seldom  that  the  King  rides  out, 
owing  to  the  very  important  desideratum  of  properly 
constructed  roads. 

As  previously  stated,  Panompin  has  but  recently 
been  made  a seat  of  government ; until  within  three 
or  four  years  Oodong  has  been  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom  of  Cambodia.  In  1860  M.  Mouhot,  the 
French  naturalist,  visited  Oodong,  and  thus  writes 
of  its  appearance,  which  corresponds  with  that  of 
Panompin  at  the  present  day  in  many  respects  : ‘ On 
approaching  the  capital  the  prospect  becomes  more 


WALKS  ABOUT  THE  CITY 


293 


diversified ; we  passed  fields  of  rice,  cottages  encircled 
by  fruit  gardens,  and  country  houses  belonging  to  the 
Cambodian  aristocracy,  who  come  here  in  the  evening 
for  the  sake  of  breathing  a purer  air  than  they  can 
find  in  the  city.  As  we  drew  closer  to  the  gates  I 
found  the  place  to  be  protected  by  a palisade  three 
metres  high.  * * * The  houses  are  built  of  bamboo 
or  planks,  and  the  market-place,  occupied  by  the 
Chinese,  is  as  dirty  as  all  the  others  of  which  I have 
made  mention.  The  largest  street,  or  rather  the  only 
one,  is  a mile  in  length ; and  in  the  environs  reside 
the  agriculturists,  as  well  as  the  mandarins  and  other 
Government  officers.  The  entire  population  numbers 
about  12,000  souls  [in  I860]. 

‘ The  many  Cambodians  living  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  and  still  more  the  number  of  chiefs  who 
resort  to  Oodong  for  business  or  pleasure,  or  are 
passing  through  it  on  their  way  from  one  province 

to  another,  contribute  to  give  animation  to  the  capital. 

> 

Every  moment  I met  mandarins,  either  borne  in 
litters  or  on  foot,  followed  by  a crowd  of  slaves  carry- 
ing various  articles : some  yellow  or  scarlet  parasols, 
more  or  less,  according  to  the  rank  of  the  person ; 
others,  boxes  with  betel.  I also  encountered  horsemen 
mounted  on  pretty,  spirited  little  animals,  richly  capa- 


294  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

risoned  and  covered  with  bells,  ambling  along,  while  a 
troop  of  attendants,  covered  with  dust  and  sweltering 
with  heat,  ran  after  them.  Light  carts,  drawn  by  a 
couple  of  small  oxen,  trotting  along  rapidly  and  noisily, 
were  here  and  there  to  be  seen.  Occasionally  a large 
elephant  passed  majestically  by.  On  this  side  were 
numerous  processions  to  the  pagoda,  marching  to  the 
sound  of  music  ; there,  again,  was  a band  of  ecclesiastics 
in  single  file,  seeking  alms,  draped  in  their  yellow 
cloaks,  and  with  the  holy  vessels  on  their  backs.’ 

A telegram  had  arrived  from  Saigon  stating  that 
the  opium  steamer,  which  runs  to  Panompin,  had  been 
chartered  by  the  French  authorities  to  transport  some 
troops  to  a district  of  Cochin  China  where  there  was  a 
native  outbreak  ; and  the  regular  Government  steamer 
not  being  due  for  three  days,  and  then  requiring  an 
entire  week  to  reach  Saigon,  it  was  necessary  for  me 
to  leave  in  a native  boat,  and  Edwards  kindly  offered 
to  accompany  me  down  the  river. 

In  the  evening  of  the  27th  inst.  I had  my  last  inter- 
view with  the  King  of  Cambodia.  Upon  arriving  at 
the  palace  about  nine  o’clock,  I found  there  the  royal 
and  some  other  carriages,  and  a small  escort  of  cavalry, 
waiting  for  the  King,  who  was  about  to  attend  a 
theatrical  exhibition,  given  by  some  of  the  great 


WALKS  ABOUT  THE  CITY 


295 


Chinese  mandarins  of  the  city,  in  connection  with 
the  approaching  fete.  The  cavalry  escort  presented 
a most  ridiculous  appearance,  the  men  riding  without 
stirrups  and  clothed  in  tight  black  jackets  and  silk 
panoungs,  with  blue  cloth  navy  caps,  and  armed  with 


GIFT  FROM  THE  KING  OF  CAMBODIA 


huge  sabres,  carried  as  nearly  as  convenient  at  their 
shoulders. 

After  waiting  for  some  little  time  in  the  reception 
room,  His  Majesty  appeared,  dressed  as  a most 
gorgeous  ‘ swell.’  He  wore  a white  choker ; white 
Marseilles  vest,  with  little  gold  buttons ; black  cloth 
frock  coat,  with  flowers  in  the  button-hole  ; red  silk 
panoung ; white  silk  stockings  and  patent  leather 


296  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

pumps.  Around  his  royal  neck  was  a heavy  gold 
watch  chain,  and  upon  his  royal  fingers  five  or  six 
valuable  and  beautiful  rings  ; one  of  them,  a diamond 
cluster,  was  a full  inch  in  diameter.  His  Majesty 
was  very  sorry  to  hear  ‘ the  foreigner  ’ did  not  intend 
to  remain  for  the  fete , hoped  he  had  enjoyed  himself 
in  Panompin,  and  said  he  would  now  present  him  with 
a little  souvenir.  Thereupon  the  King  sent  for  his 
keys,  and  opening  a huge  iron  safe  standing  in  a corner 
of  the  hall,  took  therefrom  an  extremely  pretty  gold 
pomade-box,  and  handed  it  to  me  wrapped  in  a piece 
of  note-paper.  This  box  was  made  by  native  work- 
men from  native  gold,  pure  and  stained  red,  in  the 
shape  of  a Cambodian  pumpkin,  the  top  of  which  was 
carved  in  a cluster  of  leaves,  and  the  end  of  the  broken 
(purposely)  stem  of  which  contained  an  uncut  topaz. 
Its  workmanship — the  engraving,  embossing,  and 
filigree — would  delight  the  eye  as  well  as  puzzle  the 
head  (to  know  how  so  barbarous  a people  could 
produce  such  elegant  work)  of  many  a western  gold 
artificer.  Thanking  the  King  very  much  for  his 
beautiful  gift,  ‘ the  foreigner  ’ then  withdrew.  Re- 
turning to  Edwards’,  I passed  a large  open  sala,  where 
a genuine  Chinese  drama — crash,  fizz,  and  pop,  similar 
to  those  witnessed  in  Pekin  and  Canton — was  being 


WALKS  ABOUT  THE  CITY 


297 


enacted.  Before  the  shed  stood  the  carriage  of  the 
King  and  the  cavalry  escort,  and  an  immense  crowd 
of  people  were  present,  but  there  was  little  feeling  or 
excitement  displayed. 

At  one  o’clock  in  the  morning  we  started  for 
Saigon  in  a native  boat,  about  thirty  feet  in  length 
and  six  in  width,  with  five  men,  who  were  by  turns 
to  row  night  and  day  until  we  reached  our  destination. 
The  centre  of  the  boat  was  covered  with  a low,  round 
bamboo  and  palm-leaf  (very  thin)  roof  or  cover — so 
low  that  one  could  scarcely  sit  upright  beneath  it — 
and  under  this  we  placed  our  mattresses  and  pro- 
visions. There  were  but  two  positions  of  body  to  be 
had  in  the  miserable  craft — a reclining  or  a sitting — and 
the  passage  proved  tiresome  on  this  account ; and  we 
suffered  also  from  the  continued  exposure  to  the  sun, 
the  reflection  from  the  surface  of  the  river,  the  great 
heat,  and  last,  but  anything  rather  than  least,  from  the 
mosquitoes. 


298  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

PANOMPIN  TO  SAIGON 

We  had  fairly  left  Panompin  and  had  entered  the 
great  Makong  river,  which,  just  below  the  city,  divides 
into  two  streams  which  flow  to  the  south — about  fifteen 
miles  apart — and  empty  themselves  into  the  China  Sea. 
There  are  many  branches  and  intercommunications — 
in  fact,  a perfect  labyrinth  of  canals — near  its  mouth  ; 
one  of  the  smaller  streams  flows  north-east  to  Saigon, 
and  empties  itself  into  the  sea  twenty-five  miles  to  the 
eastward  of  that  city.  At  first  the  river  averaged  about 
a thousand  feet  in  width  ; its  banks  were  far  from  beau- 
tiful, being  at  that  season  about  thirty  feet  above 
water-level ; the  surface  was  covered  with  a thick  green 
scum,  produced  by  a species  of  oil-fish  smaller  than 
sprats.  On  the  banks  there  were  few  large  (woody) 
trees,  but  many  bamboos,  bananas,  and  betel  palms. 
We  passed  but  few  villages,  of  about  a dozen  huts 
each  ; near  them  were  large  patches  of  cucumbers, 
melons,  and  other  vegetables;  much  indigo  of  fair, 


COCHIN  CHINESE  PRINCE  AND  ATTENDANT 


m 


PANOMPIN  TO  SAIGON 


299 


and  cotton  of  better  quality,  and  gamboge  (whence  the 
name  of  the  country,  Kambodgia  or  Cambogia) — a 
sweet-smelling  resin  which  ‘ exudes  from  incisions 
made  in  the  stem  of  the  Garcinia  Cambogia , a very 
high  tree,  the  fruit  of  which  is  eatable.’  Pepper  is 
raised  and  exported  from  this  section  of  the  country;  but 
the  fishing  and  oil  manufacturing  is  all  done  above,  in 
the  Mesap  river  and  Lake  Thalaysap.  The  provinces 
along  the  river  are  the  best  cultivated  in  Cambodia, 
though  the  country  inland  is,  for  the  most  part,  level 
and  fertile.  We  met  with  but  few  boats.  Our  course 
was  nearly  due  south,  the  current  helping  our  progress 
somewhat,  and  the  wind  also  a little — acting  as  it  did 
upon  a wretched  sail,  about  the  size  of  a couple  of 
pocket-handkerchiefs.  At  night  the  mosquitoes  were 
so  troublesome  that  sleep  was  only  attainable  through 
wrapping  one’s  entire  person  in  a blanket. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  we  entered  Cochin 
China.  There  is  an  Annamite  custom-house  at  one 
side  of  the  river  and  a Cambodian  one  upon  the  other 
at  the  boundary  line.  At  Chaudoc  we  spent  part  of  an 
afternoon  in  procuring  four  additional  rowers,  knowing 
that  with  those  we  had  alone  it  would  be  impossible  to 
reach  Saigon  as  soon  as  desirable.  Chaudoc  is  a town 
about  half  the  size  of  Panompin,  situated  on  both  banks 


300  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

of  the  Makong,  and  also  upon  a small  river  which  flows 
west  and  empties  itself  into  the  Gulf  of  Siam  at  Kampot ; 
it  is  laid  out  with  narrow  streets,  but  the  houses  are  not 
of  as  good  construction  as  those  at  the  capital  of 
Cambodia.  The  French  have  a fort  or  citadel  here, 
with  war  stores,  about  200  soldiers,  and  a functionary 
styled  ‘ District  Inspector.’  The  fort  is  a simple  earth- 
work, palisaded  exteriorly  with  bamboo,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a broad  moat  filled  with  water ; no  guns 
are  mounted,  and  the  whole  is  in  very  bad  order, 
being  overgrown  with  trees  and  grass,  the  barracks 
and  buildings  also  within  are  much  dilapidated.  The 
Inspector  or  his  representative,  to  whom  we  preferred 
our  request,  ordered  four  men  to  be  sent  us ; who 
not  presenting  themselves  within  his  limit — an  hour — 
he  said  that  if  they  were  not  in  our  boat  within  ten 
minutes  he  should  levy  a fine  of  100  francs  upon  the 
village.  The  threat  had  its  desired  effect,  for  within 
the  prescribed  time  the  men  came,  and  we  were  able 
and  glad  to  depart  without  such  an  injustice  being 
done  the  innocent  inhabitants  of  Chaudoc. 

About  noon,  on  the  1st  of  March,  we  passed  a large 
town  composed  partly  of  floating  houses,  lying  on  both 
sides  of  the  river,  and  called  Lang-Xuen.  A small 
French  gunboat  was  anchored  abreast  of  the  town,  and 


PANOMPIN  TO  SAIGON 


301 


there  was  a small  citadel,  with  Annamite  troops,  French 
officers,  and  a French  inspector.  In  the  afternoon 
a small  Government  steamer,  loaded  with  Annamite 
troops,  passed  us  on  its  way  down  the  river,  not  to 
Saigon,  however.  The  French  Government  have  about 
twenty  of  these  little  steamers,  which  are  used  as 
despatch  boats  by  the  different  inspectors,  and  for  trans- 
porting troops  to  the  different  citadels  throughout 
Cochin  China.  The  latter  province  or  country  appeared 
to  be  much  more  thickly  settled  than  Cambodia.  The 
thick  forests  had  given  place  to  very  sparse  vegetation, 
and  this  in  turn  to  large  groves  of  betel-nut,  bamboo, 
and  banana  trees. 

At  a large  town  called  Chadec,  where  we  stopped 
on  the  following  morning,  we  heard  that  the  opium 
steamer,  already  spoken  of  as  being  due  at  Panompin 
during  my  stay,  had  been  there,  and  returning  had 
left  Chadec  for  Saigon  the  previous  evening.  We 
experienced  such  strong  head-winds  and  tides  that  it 
was  doubtful  if  we  could  reach  Saigon  in  less  than  a 
week’s  time,  unless  we  encountered  one  of  the  Govern- 
ment steamers  at  some  of  the  towns  which  we  passed ; 
and  even  for  a passage  on  one  of  these  it  was  necessary 
to  obtain  a written  permit  from  a French  inspector. 
Chadec  is  about  the  same  size  of  town  as  Chaudoc, 


302  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

for  which  it  is  often  mistaken,  owing  to  similarity  of  the 
names;  there  is  there  a citadel,  an  inspector,  a gun-boat, 
and  some  Annamite  troops.  Going  on,  the  river  widened 
to  near  a mile,  and  the  number  of  passing  boats,  the 
beautiful  little  islands  in  the  stream,  the  large  trees 
and  numerous  villages  upon  the  banks,  produced  a 
very  picturesque  kaleidoscopic  scene. 

Notwithstanding  a strong  head-wind  and  tide,  we 
succeeded  in  reaching  Mitho,  situated  upon  both  banks 
of  the  river,  and  being  one  of  the  largest  towns  in 
Cochin  China,  about  six  o’clock  the  following  morning. 
There  is  a large  French  citadel  there,  with  two  or  three 
hundred  foreign  troops,  and  perhaps  twice  as  many 
Annamites.  The  Intendant’s  or  Governor’s  residence 
is  a palatial  structure,  surrounded  by  pleasure-grounds 
handsomely  laid  out  with  flower-beds,  lawns,  and  neat 
gravelled  walks.  Throughout  the  town  are  good 
macadamised  roads,  bordered  with  rows  of  beautiful 
young  cocoa-nut  trees.  There  are  several  French  stores 
in  Mitho ; a large  brick  cathedral  is  in  process  of 
erection ; two  or  three  gunboats  are  anchored  abreast 
of  the  town  ; and  I noticed  several  imported  carriages 
in  the  streets.  We  were  now  in  the  delta-ground  of 
the  Makong,  the  land  being  low  and  rivers  and  creeks 
running  and  joining  each  other  in  every  direction.  We 


PANOMPIN  TO  SAIGON 


303 


rowed  all  day  through  a narrow  creek,  the  banks  of 
which  were  covered  with  jungle ; there  were  no 
villages,  but  the  creek  was  full  of  boats — fishing-junks 
and  sea-junks — the  most  of  them  manned  by  Chinamen. 
Gradually  this  creek  narrowed  to  about  thirty  feet, 
and  our  progress  was  very  slow,  as  it  was  crowded 
and  jammed  with  huge  rice-boats — some  of  them  with 
fourteen  rowers  — salt-boats,  fish-boats,  and  small 
general  merchandise  boats,  which  we  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  passing. 

The  next  morning,  at  five  o’clock,  we  suddenly  came 
upon  a part  of  the  creek  which  was  entirely  blocked 
with  boats,  and  it  being  low  tide,  all  were  embedded 
in  the  mud  and  could  not  be  moved  until  the  incoming 
tide  should  re-float  them.  Determined  not  to  be  thus 
baffled  so  near  the  end  of  our  journey,  we  took  two  or 
three  of  the  boatmen  to  carry  our  baggage,  and  started 
to  walk  along  the  bank  of  the  creek  towards  a large 
town  called  Chalen,  which  Edwards  thought  could 
not  be  far  distant.  A walk  of  an  hour,  and  we 
were  in  the  heart  of  the  town,  and  had  engaged 
a gharry  (we  had  arrived  at  semi-civilisation 
again)  to  take  us  to  Saigon,  about  three  miles 
over  a good  road.  Chalen  is  a very  large  town, 
built  upon  both  sides  of  the  river,  which  is  there 


304  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


crowded  with  boats  of  every  description ; it  was  (and 
is  now  almost)  the  grand  terminus  of  the  Makoug 
river  and  Lake  Thalaysap  trade,  until  Saigon,  ten 
years  ago  but  a small  fishing  village,  was  taken  by  the 
French.  The  population  of  Clialen  consists  mostly  of 
Chinese ; the  remainder  are  Annamites,  with  a few 


MAKONG  RIVER  BOATS 


Cambodians.  Soon  after  leaving  Clialen  for  Saigon 
we  passed  an  immense  Annamite  cemetery  — a mile 
square  of  old  tombs  — simple  stone  enclosures  with 
small  spires,  which  seem  to  indicate  that  there  must 
have  been  a large  city  hereabouts  at  one  time,  and 
tradition  supports  the  supposition.  Next  we  passed  a 


PANOMPIN  TO  SAIGON 


305 


few  military  storehouses,  and  then  some  large  vege- 
table gardens,  worked  by  Chinese,  for  supplying  Saigon  ; 
and  afterwards  we  entered  the  straggling  suburbs. 

We  reached  the  city  early  in  the  forenoon,  and 
driving  to  the  ‘Hotel  de  l’Univers,’  there  Edwards 
congratulated  me  upon  the  safe,  successful,  and  happy 
completion  of  the  overland  journey  from  Bangkok  to 
Saigon.  I had  traversed  the  great  Indo-Chinese 
peninsula — riding  over  its  plains,  voyaging  across  its 
lakes,  paddling  down  its  rivers — a distance  of  655 
miles — in  six  weeks,  including  many  long  and  delightful 
delays  by  the  wav. 


25 


306  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

SAIGON 

Saigon,  captured  by  the  Erench  in  1861,  and  added  to 
their  dominions,  together  with  six  provinces  of  Lower 
Cochin  China  placed  by  treaty  under  a French  pro- 
tectorate, is  situated  upon  the  right  bank  of  the  river 
of  the  same  name,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  the 
sea.  From  Chalen  a large  creek  runs  to  the  Saigon 
river,  joining  it  about  the  centre  of  the  city.  The 
approach  to  Saigon  is  through  an  immense  forest  of 
the  betel  and  cocoa-nut  palm,  banana  and  bamboo 
trees,  and  thick  copses  of  others  with  names  unknown, 
save  to  the  professed  naturalist.  The  first  impressions 
one  receives  of  the  town  are  not  at  all  flattering  to  its 
appearance.  The  only  object  that  attracts  the  attention 
is  a large  three-storey  brick  building  on  the  bank  of 
the  river,  at  once  the  town  hall  and  an  hotel.  In  the 
river,  which  is  here  not  more  than  five  hundred  feet  in 
width,  are  anchored  several  small  French  gunboats — 
intended  for  up-country  service  most  of  them — and, 


STREET  VIEW,  SAIGON 


SAIGON 


307 


besides  these,  there  are  usually  two  or  three  large 
steamers  in  port  (either  oue  of  the  ‘ Messageries,’  or  an 
English  Hong  Kong  ‘ liner,’  or  one  running  to  Singa- 
pore and  Penang,  or  the  war  vessel  of  some  foreign 
power) ; farther  down  the  river  are  anchored  some- 
times as  many  as  twenty  merchantmen,  mostly  of  five 
to  eight  hundred  tons  burden  and  flying  the  flags  of 
either  France  or  Germany. 

There  are  in  Saigon  very  many  hotels,  or  more 
properly  speaking  cafes,  at  which  the  most  of  the 
French  residents  appear  to  live.  These  cafes  are  not 
scrupulously  clean ; still  one  may  obtain  a modest  room 
and  fair  meals  at  reasonable  charges.  The  popula 
tion — ten  thousand  at  a guess — consists  of  Cochin 
Chinese,  Chinese,  Malabars,  and  French  troops, 
civilians,  and  a few  Europeans  of  other  nationalities. 
Public  affairs  are  administered  by  a Governor  ap- 
pointed by  the  Emperor  and  sent  out  from  France, 
and  assisted  by  a Legislative  and  Executive  Council. 
The  streets  of  Saigon  are  broad,  and  macadamised 
with  brick  (which  makes  a very  disagreeable  dust) ; 
in  two  of  them,  which  run  at  right  angles  to  the  river, 
are  stone  canals  for  the  more  convenient  loading  and 
unloading  of  the  small  cargo  boats  of  the  country. 
The  street  which  runs  parallel  and  next  to  the  river 


308  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 


is  lined  with  double  rows  of  trees.  Here,  after  sun- 
down, it  is  the  custom  of  the  residents  to  promenade, 
while  listening  to  the  music  of  one  of  the  regimental 
bands.  The  streets  are  lighted  by  oil  lamps,  and  are 
drained  by  extensive  gutters  at  the  sides.  There  are 
no  public  squares,  but  there  is  a small  botanical  gar- 
den, tastefully  laid  out,  but  not  kept  in  the  best  order ; 
in  it  are  some  wild  animals,  among  them  two  fine  large 
tigers,  captured  in  Cambodia. 

The  public  buildings  are  few  in  number  and  not 
particularly  grand  in  design  or  elegant  in  construction, 
with  perhaps  the  exception  of  the  Government  House, 
recently  completed.  It  is  built  of  brick  and  stucco, 
is  two  storeys  in  height — about  three  hundred  feet  in 
length  by  one  hundred  in  depth — and  is  situated  in 
the  centre  of  a large  cleared  space  on  the  southern  side 
of  the  town.  The  compartments  of  the  interior 
embrace  an  elegantly  plastered  ball-room,  rooms  for 
the  different  offices  of  Government,  an  observatory,  &c., 
with  marble  staircases  and  balustrades,  laid  floors,  and 
frescoed  ceilings.  The  appearance,  however,  of  this 
elegant  modern  palace,  with  its  grand  staircases  and 
pillars,  which  would  appear  to  advantage  in  London 
or  Washington,  in  the  midst  of  a tropical  jungle  and 
surrounded  only  by  a few  bamboo  huts  is  most  droll. 


GOVERNMENT  HOUSE,  SAIGON  ( French,  recently  completed) 


SAIGON 


309 


In  one  part  of  Saigon  is  a large  nunnery  and  chapel 
inclosed  by  a lofty  wall ; there  are  also  many  small 
Roman  Catholic  chapels. 


ANN  AMITE  MALE 


The  European  business  houses  are  few  in  number — 
America  not  being  represented — and  trade  is  anything 
but  brisk.  As  usual,  the  real  life  of  the  town  is 
maintained  by  the  Chinese,  who  do  the  work,  keeping 


310  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

small  shops  of  miscellaneous  goods  generally.  The 
Chinaman  is  the  ‘ toiler  of  the  East ; ’ he  is  industrious, 
persevering,  and  frugal ; his  wants  are  few,  and  his 
vices  (including  gambling,  to  which  he  is  passionately 
addicted)  never  seem  to  reduce  him  to  a state  of 
beggary.  Wherever  money  is  to  be  made,  there  you  will 
find  John  Chinaman;  he  gradually  but  surely  monopo- 
lises the  trade  and  business  of  all  the  countries  to  which 
he  immigrates,  and,  strange  to  tell,  notwithstanding  this, 
manages  to  keep  upon  excellent  terms  with  the  lazy 
natives  with  whom  he  lives  in  contact. 

In  Saigon  there  are  many  schools  for  teaching 
Annamites  the  French  language  and  the  general  rudi- 
ments of  education ; the  children  of  Europeans  are 
usually  sent  home  to  attend  school.  The  army  and  navy 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Governor-General  is  small,  but 
sufficient  to  preserve  order  throughout  the  French 
provinces  in  Cochin  China.  There  is  an  earthwork 
fortification  at  Saigon,  which  is  garrisoned,  I was 
told,  by  about  three  thousand  men ; it  contains,  more- 
over, a large  quantity  of  provisions  and  war  stores. 
The  troops  wear  a blue  blouse  uniform  with  leather 
leggings  and  a white  flat  sun-hat  (pith  or  cork);  they 
are  armed  with  breech-loading  muskets  and  sword- 
bayonets.  The  navy  consists  of  ten  or  fifteen  light- 


ANNAMITE  LADY 


SAIGON 


311 


draught  gun-boats  (for  river  guards,  and  to  transport 
troops  to  the  various  citadels  throughout  the  country), 
the  whole  under  the  command  of  an  admiral.  The 
police  system  is  very  effective,  Malays  from  Singapore 
having  been  enrolled  and  trained  for  that  service. 


ANNAMITE  SOLDIERS 


Morals  are  at  the  low  ebb  usually  found  among 
Europeans  in  oiiental  towns — the  French  living  at  free 
quarters  with  Annamite  girls,  whom  they  purchase, 
when  quite  young,  from  their  parents,  #30  being 
considered  a high  price.  The  climate  of  Saigon  is 
hot,  being  so  neai  the  equator,  but  it  is  generally 


312  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

considered  healthy  for  temperately-living  foreigneis ; 
the  diseases  are  those  incidental  to  the  tropics  every- 
where— fevers,  dysenteries,  and  cholera  in  its  various 
stages.  The  French  language  is  of  course  that  in  com- 
mon use  by  all  Europeans  and  even  by  the  Annamites, 
who  learn  to  speak  it  without  much  difficulty. 

‘ France  in  the  east’  is,  as  far  as  my  limited  observa- 
tion goes,  a great  farce — a travesty,  a burlesque  upon 
colonisation  in  general.  The  French  character  is  sadly 
wanting  in  many  of  the  virtues  necessary  for  successful 
pioneering  in  foreign  lands ; it  lacks  that  sturdy, 
energetic,  persevering  trait  which  we  see  so  ably 
displayed  by  the  English  in  India  and  Australia  and 
by  the  German  settlers  in  America.  It  must  be  that 
politics  alone  have  to  do  with  the  retaining  by  France 
at  the  present  day  of  so  minute  and  oddly  situated  a 
province  as  Pondicherry,  or  such  a country  as  Cochin 
China,  inhabited  by  so  warlike  and  rebellious  a people. 
After  seeing  the  healthy,  growing,  and  usually  paying 
colonies  of  the  British  Empire  in  the  east,  a visit 
to  Saigon,  ‘ the  infant  capital  of  Asiatic  France,’ 
leaves  a ludicrous  impression  indeed  upon  the  mind 
of  'an  observant,  thinking,  and  reflecting  traveller. 

The  great  hope  of  France  that  the  Makong  river 
might  prove  a water-road  and  an  outlet  to  the  rich 


SAIGON 


313 


districts  of  southern  China,  via  Saigon,  has  proved 
an  illusion,  and  that  geographical  mystery  has  been 
cleared  away  with  the  survey  and  exploration  of  the 
liver,  nearly  to  its  sources,  by  a French  Govern- 
mental commission.  An  account  of  this  exploration 
has  been  given  to  the  world  in  a book  styled  ‘ Travels 
in  Indo-China  and  the  Chinese  Empire  ’ by  M.  de  Carne, 
a member  of  the  commission.  And  a late  writer  in  the 
London  ‘ Daily  Telegraph  ’ thus  sums  up  the  results 

of  the  expedition  up  the  great  Makong  river  : 

‘ M.  Louis  de  Carne  started  in  the  summer  of  1866 
from  Saigon,  in  French  Cochin  China,  to  track  the 
great  river  of  Cambodia,  the  Makong,  to  its  sources. 
The  hope  of  the  French  Colonial  Office  was  that 
this  large  stream,  unknown,  like  the  Salween,  the 
Menam,  and  the  Tonquin,  might  offer  an  available 
water-road  through  Laos  and  Yunan  to  the  back  of 
China,  and  give  to  the  Cochin  Chinese  delta  which 
is  held  by  France  the  commerce  of  a second  Nile 
or  Ganges.  This  hope  has  failed ; the  Makong,  which 
the  Frenchman  traced  at  the  cost  of  terrible  hard- 
ships and  great  sacrifice  of  brave  and  valuable  life, 
is  an  ‘impassable  river,’  broken  at  least  thrice 
by  furious  cataracts  and  having  a current  against 
which  nothing  could  be  navigated.  The  dis- 


314  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

covery,  purchased  at  the  cost  of  existence  by  the 
leader  of  the  expedition  and  by  M.  de  Carne,  whose 
story  is  posthumously  published,  takes  away  half  the 
value  of  Cochin  China.  It  is  our  [England’s]  turn  to 
find  out  whether  the  great  streams  which  have  their 
embouchure  at  Bangkok  and  Maulmain  offer  any 
better  chance  of  a back  way  to  the  Yang-tse-kiang.’ 

In  connection  with  a ‘ back  way  ’ route  to  China,  it 
may  be  mentioned  that  the  members  of  the  French 
commission  found  the  Songkoi — a fine  river  nearly  two 
hundred  miles  in  length,  which  flows  into  the  Gulf  of 
Tonquin  by  two  mouths — perfectly  navigable,  and 
• in  every  way  fitted  to  promote  the  commercial 
intercourse  of  the  Celestial  Empire  with  our  new 
colony.’  Though  this  could  hardly  be  termed  a 
discovery,  for  the  most  northerly  of  the  two  branches  of 
the  Songkoi,  which  is  about  a mile  in  width  at  its 
embouchure , is  known  to  have  been  safely  navigated 
by  European  shipping  in  the  seventeenth  century. 

My  good  friend  Edwards  of  Panompin  unweariedly 
accompanied  me  about  Saigon, > acting  as  interpreter, 
packing  my  curios,  and  assisting  me  in  any  and  every 
way  he  could,  and  only  left  me  on  board  the 
‘ Messageries  ’ steamer  as  the  bell  rang  for  all  not 
passengers  to  leave  her  decks  and  their  friends  for 


SAIGON 


315 


the  shore.  The  Saigon  river  remains  about  the  same 
width — 500  feet — until  it  reaches  the  China  Sea ; it 
is  tortuous  but  deep,  allowing  vessels  of  the  largest 
draught  to  steam  quietly  up  to  the  city.  The  country 
on  either  side  is  low,  level,  and  thinly  peopled ; the  banks 
aie  lined  with  mangroves  down  to  the  very  water’s 
edge.  At  the  mouth  of  the  river,  upon  a low  hill,  is 
a lighthouse  with  a powerful  light,  and  in  a sheltered 
position  behind  this  hill  there  is  a small  fishing  village 
where  the  pilots  and  their  families  reside. 

We  steamed  gaily  down  the  tortuous  river  and  out 
to  sea,  where  we  met  a favourable  breeze  from  the 
northward;  all  was  prosperous  and  hopeful,  but  as  I 
slowly  paced  the  deck  on  that  beautiful  star-lit  night 
of  the  4th  of  March,  1872,  I could  not  but  feel  sad 
at  the  thought  of  leaving  the  marvellously  beautiful 
countries  and  the  strange  people  and  stranger  customs 
of  Farther  India,  probably  for  many  years,  possibly 
for  ever. 

Our  steamer  was  the  ‘Alphee,’  1,000  tons  burden, 

of  the  French  line  ; and  among  others  Admiral  Dupre, 

the  Governor  of  Cochin  China,  was  a passenger  to 

France  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  And  I was  a 

passenger  to  Ceylon — to  visit  in  the  centre  of  ‘ the 

divine  island  ’ the  wonderful  ruins  of  structures  erected 

20 


)16  THE  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT 

9,400  years  ago — to  see  the  Lava  Maha  Paya,  with 
ts  16,000  pillars,  the  mountain  temples  at  Matate,  the 
grottoes  of  Dambool,  and  the  Lake  of  Candeley,  with 
its  embankment  of  stones  fourteen  feet  in  length,  laid 
regularly  one  above  the  other. 

We  had  a pleasant  and  delightful  passage  to 
Singapore,  and  thence  on  to  Point  de  Galle,  where  I 
may  with  some  propriety  take  leave  of  the  reader ; 
for  from  Ceylon  the  great  and  mighty  religion  of 
Budha,  without  doubt,  first  spread  to  Burma  and 
the  other  countries  of  Farther  India. 


THE  END. 


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HARPER  & BROTHERS,  New  York. 


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VINCENT'S  LAND  OF  THE  WHITE  ELEPHANT.  The  Land  of  the  White  Ele- 
phant : Sights  and  Scenes  in  Southeastern  Asia.  A Personal  Narrative  of  Travel 
and  Adventure  in  Farther  India,  embracing  the  Countries  of  Burma,  Siam,  Cam- 
bodia, and  Cochin-China  (1871-2).  By  Frank  Vincent,  Jr.  With  Map,  Plans, 
and  numerous  Illustrations.  Crown  8vo,  Cloth, 

PIKE’S  SUB-TROPICAL  RAMBLES.  Sub-Tropical  Rambles  in  the  Land  of  the 
Aphanapteryx.  By  Nicholas  Pike.  U.  S.  Consul,  Port  Louis,  Mauritius.  Pro- 
fusely Illustrated  from  the  Author’s  own  Sketches;  containing  also  Maps  and 
valuable  Meteorological  Charts.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

TRISTRAM'S  LAND  OF  MOAB.  The  Land  of  Moab : The  Result  of  Travels  and 
Discoveries  on  the  East  Side  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan.  By  H.  B.  Tris- 
tram, M.  A.,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.  With  a Chapter  on  the  Persian  Palace  of  Mashita,  by 
JaS.  Ferc.uson,  F.R.S.,  and  Illustrations.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

THE  DESERT  OF  THE  EXODUS.  Journeys  on  Foot  in  the  Wilderness  of  the 
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of  Sinai  and  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund.  By  E.  H.  Palmer,  M.A.,  Lord 
Almoner’s  Professor  of  Arabic,  and  Fellow  of  St.  John's  College,  Cambridge. 
With  Maps  and  numerous  Illustrations  from  Photographs  and  Drawings  taken 
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SANTO  DOMINGO,  Past  and  Present,  with  a Glance  at  Hayti.  By  Samuel  Hazard. 
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Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  in  Japan.  With  Maps  and  Engrav- 
ings. 2 vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

ANDERSSON’S  OKAVANGO  RIVER.  The  Okavango  River:  a Narrative  of  Travel, 
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ANDERSSON’S  LAKE  NGAMI.  Lake  Ngami ; or,  Explorations  and  Discoveries 
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John  Andersson.  With  numerous  Illustrations,  representing  Sporting  Adven- 
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ATKINSON’S  AMOOR  REGIONS.  Travels  in  the  Regions  of  the  Upper  and  Lower 
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Adventures  among  the  Mountain  Kirghis ; and  the  Manjours,  Manyargs,  Toun- 
gous,  Touzempts,Goldi,  and  Gelvaks;  the  Hunting  and  Pastoral  Tribes.  By  TnoM- 
as  Witlam  Atkinson,  F.G.S.,  F.R.G.S.  With  a Slap  and  numerous  Illustrations. 
Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

ATKINSON’S  SIBERIA.  Oriental  and  Western  Siberia  : a Narrative  of  Seven  Years' 
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Tartary,  and  Part  of  Central  Asia.  By  Thomas  Witlam  Atkinson.  With  a Map 
and  numerous  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

BARTH'S  NORTH  AND  CENTRAL  AFRICA.  Travels  and  Discoveries  in  North 
and  Central  Africa.  Being  a Journal  of  an  Expedition  undertaken  under  the 
Auspices  of  H.  B.  M.’s  Government,  in  the  Years  1849-1855.  By  Henry  Barth, 
Ph.D.,  D.C.L.  Illustrated.  3 vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $12  00. 

BALDWIN’S  AFRICAN  HUNTING.  African  Hunting,  from  Natal  to  the  Zambesi, 
including  Lake  Ngami,  the  Kalahari  Desert,  &c.,  from  1852  to  1800.  By  William 
Charles  Baldwin,  Esq.,  F.R.G.S.  With  Map,  Fifty  Illustrations  by  Wolf  and 
Zwecker,  and  a Portrait.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 


2 


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BURTON’S  LAKE  REGIONS  OP  CENTRAL  AFRICA.  The  Lake  Re<rions.of  Cen- 
tral Africa.  A Picture  of  Exploration.  By  Richard  F.  Burton,  Captain  H M ’« 
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Maps  and  Engravings  on  Wood.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

BURTON’S  CITY  OF  THE  SAINTS.  The  City  of  the  Saints;  and  Across  the 
Rocky  Mountains  to  California.  By  Captain  Richard  F.  Burton,  Fellow  and 
Gold  Medalist  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Societies  of  France  and  England,  H.  M.’s 
Consul  in  West  Africa.  With  Maps  and  numerous  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

BELLOWS’S  TRAVELS.  The  Old  World  in  its  New  Face  : Impressions  of  Europe 
in  1867, 1SGS.  By  Henry  W.  Bellows.  2 vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

CURTIS’S  THE  HOWADJI  IN  SYRIA.  By  George  William  Curtis.  12mo, 
Cloth,  $1  50. 

CURTIS’S  NILE  NOTES  OF  A HOWADJI.  By  George  William  Curtis.  12mo, 
Cloth,  $1  50. 

CUMMING’S  HUNTER’S  LIFE  IN  AFRICA.  Five  Years  of  a Hunter’s  Life  in  the 
far  Interior  of  South  Africa.  With  Notices  of  the  Native  Tribes,  and  Anecdotes 
of  the  Chase  of  the  Lion,  Elephant,  Hippopotamus,  Giraffe,  Rhinoceros,  &c.  With 
Illustrations.  By  R.  Gordon  Cumming.  2 vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

DAVIS’S  CARTHAGE.  Carthage  and  her  Remains;  being  an  Account  of  the  Ex- 
cavations and  Researches  on  the  Site  of  the  Phoenician  Metropolis  in  Africa  and 
other  Adjacent  Places.  Conducted  under  the  Auspices  of  Her  Majesty’s  Govern- 
ment. By  Dr.  N.  Davis,  F.R.G.S.  Profusely  Illustrated  with  Maps,  Woodcuts, 
Chromo-Lithographs,  &c.  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

DILKE’S  GREATER  BRITAIN.  Greater  Britain : a Record  of  Travel  in  English- 
speaking  Countries  during  1866  and  1867.  By  Cuaules  Wentworth  Dilke.  With 
Maps  and  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  00. 

DOOLITTLE'S  CHINA.  Social  Life  of  the  Chinese ; with  some  Account  of  their 
Religious,  Governmental,  Educational,  and  Business  Customs  and  Opinions. 
With  special  hut  not  exclusive  Reference  to  Fuhchau.  By  Rev.  Justus  Doolit- 
tle, Fourteen  Years  Member  of  the  Fuhchau  Mission  of  the  American  Board. 
Illustrated  with  more  than  150  characteristic  Engravings  on  Wood.  2 vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $5  00. 

DU  CHAILLU’S  AFRICA.  Explorations  and  Adventures  in  Equatorial  Africa; 
with  Accounts  of  the  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  People,  and  of  the  Chase  of 
the  Gorilla,  the  Crocodile,  Leopard,  Elephant,  Hippopotamus,  and  other  Animals. 
By  Paul  B.  Du  Chaii.lu,  Corresponding  Member  of  the  American  Ethnological 
Society,  of  the  Geographical  and  Statistical  Society  of  New  York,  and  of  the 
Boston  Society  of  Natural  History.  With  numerous  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

DU  CHAILLU'S  ASHANGO  LAND.  A Journey  to  Ashango  Land,  and  Further 
Penetration  into  Equatorial  Africa.  By  Paul  B.  Du  Ciiaillu.  New  Edition. 
Handsomely  Illustrated.  8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

EWBANK’S  BRAZIL.  Life  in  Brazil;  or,  a Journal  of  a Visit  to  the  Laud  of  the 
Cocoa  and  the  Palm.  With  an  Appendix,  containing  Illustrations  of  Ancient 
and  South  American  Arts,  in  recently  discovered  Implements  and  Products  of 
Domestic  Industry,  and  Works  in  Stone,  Pottery,  Gold,  Silver,  Bronze,  &c.  By 
Tuomab  Ewisank.  With  over  100  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

ELLIS'S  MADAGASCAR.  Three  Visits  to  Madagascar,  during  the  Years  1S53,  1854, 
1856.  Including  a Journey  to  the  Capital,  with  Notices  of  the  Natural  History 
of  the  Country,  and  of  the  Present  Civilization  of  the  People.  By  the  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Ellis,  F.H.S.  Illustrated  by  a Map  and  Woodcuts  from  Photographs,  &c. 
Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

HALL’S  ARCTIC  RESEARCHES.  Arctic  Researches  and  Life  among  the  Esqui- 
maux: beiDg  the  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  in  Search  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  in 
the  Years  1860, 1861,  and  1862.  By  Charles  Francis  Hall.  W’ith  Maps  and  100 
Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  Beveled,  $5  00. 

HERODOTUS,  LIFE  AND  TRAVELS  OF.  The  Life  and  Travels  of  Herodotus  in 
the  Fifth  Century  before  Christ:  an  Imaginary  Biography  founded  on  Fact,  illus- 
trative of  the  History,  Manners,  Religion,  Literature,  Arts,  and  Social  Condition 
of  the  Greeks,  Egyptians,  Persians,  Babylonians,  Hebrews,  Scythians,  and  other 
Ancient  Nations,  in  the  Days  of  Pericles  and  Nehemiah.  By  J.  Talbots  Wheel- 
er, F.R.G.S.  Map.  2 vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

HOLTON’S  NEW  GRANADA.  Twenty  Months  in  the  Andes.  By  I.  F.  Holton. 
Illustrations  and  Maps.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

KINGSLEY’S  WEST  INDIES.  At  Last:  A Christmas  in  the  West  Indies.  By 
Charles  Kingsley,  Author  of  “Alton  Locke,"  “Yeast,”  &c.,  &c.  Illustrated. 
12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 


Valuable  amt  Interesting  Works  of  Travel.  3 


LIVINGSTONE'S  SOUTH  AFRICA.  Missionary  Travels  and  Researches  in  South 
AfTica ; including  a Sketch  of  Sixteen  Years’  Residence  in  the  Interior  of  Africa, 
and  a Journey  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Loaudo  on  the  West  Coast; 
thence  across  the  Continent,  down  the  River  Zambesi,  to  the  Eastern  Ocean.  By 
David  Livingstons.,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.  With  Portrait,  Maps  by  Arrowsmith,  and 
numerous  Illustrations.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  50. 

LIVINGSTONE'S  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  ZAMBESI.  Narrative  of  an  Expedition 
to  the  Zambesi  and  its  Tributaries ; and  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Lakes  Shirwa 
and  Nyassa.  185S-1S64.  By  David  and  Charles  Livingstone.  With  Map  and 
Illustrations.  8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

LAYARD’S  NINEVEH.  A Popular  Account  of  the  Discoveries  at  Nineveh.  By 
Austen  Henuy  Lavard.  Abridged  by  him  from  his  larger  Work.  With  numer- 
ous Wood  Engravings.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

LAYARD'S  FRESH  DISCOVERIES  AT  NINEVEH.  Fresh  Discoveries  at  Nineveh 
and  Babylon ; with  Travels  in  Armenia,  Kurdistan,  and  the  Desert.  Being  the 
Result  of  a Second  Expedition  undertaken  for  the  Trustees  of  the  British  Mu- 
seum. By  Austen  Henry  Lavard,  M.P.  With  all  the  Maps  and  Engravings  in 
the  English  Edition.  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

MARCY'S  ARMY  LIFE  ON  THE  BORDER.  Thirty  Years  of  Army  Life  on  the  Bor- 
der. Comprising  Descriptions  of  the  Indian  Nomads  of  the  Plains ; Explorations 
of  New  Territory ; a Trip  across  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  the  Winter ; Descrip- 
tions of  the  Habits  of  Different  Animals  found  in  the  West,  and  the  Methods  of 
Hunting  them ; with  Incidents  in  the  Lives  of  different  Frontier  Men,  <fcc.,  &c. 
By  Brevet  Brig. -General  R.  B.  Maroy,  U.  S.  A.  Svo,  Cloth,  Beveled  Edges,  $3  00. 

MOWRY'S  ARIZONA  AND  SONORA.  Arizona  and  Sonora.  The  Geography,  His- 
tory, and  Resources  of  the  Silver  Region  of  North  America.  By  Sylvester' Mow- 
RY,"of  Arizona,  Graduate  of  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  late  Lieu- 
tenant Third  Artillery,  U.  S.  A.,  Corresponding  Member  of  the  American  Institute, 
late  U.  S.  Boundary  Commissioner,  &c.,  &c.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

MACGREGOR’S  ROB  ROY  ON  THE  JORDAN.  The  Rob  Roy  on  the  Jordan,  Nile, 
Red  Sea,  and  Gennesareth,  &c.  A Canoe  Cruise  in  Palestine  and  Egypt,  and  the 
Waters  of  Damascus.  By  J.  Macgbegor,  M.A.  With  Maps  and  Illustrations. 
Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

NEVIUS'S  CHINA.  China  and  the  Chinese : a General  Description  of  the  Country 
and  its  Inhabitants;  its  Civilization  and  Form  of  Government ; its  Religious  and 
Social  Institutions;  its  Intercourse  with  other  Nations ; mid  its  Present  Condition 
and  Prospects.  By  the  Rev.  John  L.  Nevius,  Ten  Years  a Missionary  in  China. 
With  a Map  and  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

NEWMAN'S  FROM  DAN  TO  BEERSHEBA.  From  Dan  to  Beersheba ; or,  the  Land 
of  Promise  as  it  now  appears.  Including  a Description  of  the  Boundaries,  Topog- 
raphy, Agriculture,  Antiquities,  Cities,  and  Present  Inhabitants  of  that  Wonderful 
Land.  With  Illustrations  of  the  Remarkable  Accuracy  of  the  Sacred  Writers  in 
their  Allusions  to  their  Native  Country.  By  Rev.  J.  P.  Newman,  D.D.  Maps  and 
Engravings.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

OLIPHANT’S  CHINA  AND  JAPAN.  Narrative  of  the  Earl  of  Elgin’s  Mission  to 
China  and  Japan,  in  the  Years  1S57,  ’58,  '59.  By  Laurence  Oliuiiant,  Private 
Secretary  to  Lord  Elgin.  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

ORTON’S  ANDES  AND  THE  AMAZON.  The  Andes  and  the  Amazon;  or.  Across 
the  Continent  of  South  America.  By  James  Orton,  M.A.,  Professor  of  Natural 
History  in  Vassar  College,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and  Corresponding  Member  of 
the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia.  With  a New  Map  of  Equatorial 
America  and  numerous  Illustrations.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

PAGE'S  LA  PLATA.  La  Plata,  the  Argentine  Confederation,  and  Paraguay.  Being 
a Narrative  of  the  Exploration  of  the  Tributaries  of  the  River  La  Plata  and  Ad- 
jacent Countries  during  the  Years  1853,  ’54,  ’55,  and  ’50,  under  the  Orders  of  the 
United  States  Government.  New  Edition,  containing  Farther  Explorations  in  La 
Plata  during  1S59  and  1S60.  By  Tuomas  J.  Page,  U.  S.  N.,  Commander  of  the  Ex- 
peditions. With  Map  and  numerous  Engravings.  8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

PRIME’S  (S.  I.)  TRAVELS  IN  EUROPE  AND  THE  EAST.  Travels  in  Europe  aud 
the  East.  A Year  in  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  Wales,  Frauce,  Belgium,  Hol- 
land, Germany,  Austria,  Italy,  Greece,  Turkey,  Syria,  Palestine,  and  Egypt.  By 
Rev.  Samuel  Irenleus  Prime,  D.D.  Engravings.  2 vols.,  large  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

READE’S  SAVAGE  AFRICA.  Western  Africa:  being  the  Narrative  of  a Tour  in 
Equatorial.  Southwestern,  and  Northwestern  Africa;  with  Notes  on  the  Habits 
of  the  Gorilla;  on  the  Existence  of  Unicorns  and  Tailed  Men;  on  the  Slave  Trade; 
on  the  Origin,  Character,  and  Capabilities  of  the  Negro,  and  on  the  Future  Civil- 
ization of  Western  Africa.  By  W.  Win  wood  Ruade,  Fellow  of  the  Geographical 
and  Anthropological  Society  of  London,  and  Corresponding  Member  of  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  of  Paris.  With  Illustrations  and  a Map.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 


4 


Valuable  and  Interesting  Works  of  Travel. 


REINDEER,  DOGS,  AND  SNOW-SHOES.  A Journal  of  Siberian  Travel  and  Ex- 
plorations made  in  the  Years  1865-67.  By  Richard  J.  Bush,  late  of  the  Russo- 
American  Telegraph  Expedition.  Illustrated.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

PRIME’S  (W.  C.)  BOAT-LIFE  IN  EGYPT.  Boat-Life  in  Egypt  and  Nubia.  By 
William  C.  Pkime.  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

PRIME'S  (W.  C.)  TENT-LIFE  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND.  By  William  C.  Prime.  Il- 
lustrations. 12ino,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

SQUIER’S  CENTRAL  AMERICA.  The  States  of  Central  America:  their  Geography, 
Topography,  Climate,  Population,  Resources,  Productions,  Commerce,  Political 
Organization,  Aborigines,  &c.,  &c.  Comprising  Chapters  on  Honduras,  San  Sal- 
vador, Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica,  Guatemala,  Belize,  the  Bay  Islands,  the  Mosquito 
Shore,  and  the  Honduras  Inter-Oceanic  Railway.  By  E.  G.  Squier,  formerly 
Charge  d’Affairs  of  the  United  States  to  the  Republics  of  Central  America.  With 
numerous  Original  Maps  and  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

SQUIER’S  NICARAGUA.  Nicaragua:  its  People,  Scenery,  Monuments,  Resources, 
Condition,  and  Proposed  Canal.  With  One  Hundred  Maps  and  Illustrations.  By 
E.  G.  Squier.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

SQUIER’S  WAIKNA.  Waikna;  or,  Adventures  on  the  Mosquito  Shore.  By  E.  G. 
Squier.  With  a Map  and  upward  of  Sixty  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 

SPEKE’S  AFRICA.  Journal  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Source  of  the  Nile.  By  Captain 
John  Hanning  Speke,  Captain  H.  M.’s  Indian  Army,  Fellow  and  Gold  Medalist 
of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  Hon.  Corresponding  Member  and  Gold  Med- 
alist of  the  French  Geographical  Society,  &c.  With  Maps  and  Portraits  and  nu- 
merous Illustrations,  chiefly  from  Drawings  by  Captain  Grant.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

STEPHENS’S  TRAVELS  IN  CENTRAL  AMERICA.  Travels  in  Central  America, 
Chiapas,  and  Yucatan.  By  J.  L.  Stephens.  With  a Map  and  S8  Engravings.  2 
vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

STEPHENS’S  TRAVELS  IN  YUCATAN.  Incidents  of  Travel  in  Yucatan.  By  J. 
L.  Stephens.  120  Engravings,  from  Drawings  by  F.  Catherwood.  2 vols.,  8vo, 
Cloth,  $6  00. 

STEPHENS’S  TRAVELS  IN  EGYPT.  Travels  in  Egypt,  Arabia  Petraea,  and  the 
Holy  Laud.  By  J.  L.  Stephens.  Engravings.  2 vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

STEPHENS’S  TRAVELS  IN  GREECE.  Travels  in  Greece,  Turkey,  Russia,  and 
Poland.  By  J.  L.  Stephens.  Engravings.  2 vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

THOMSON’S  LAND  AND  BOOK.  The  Land  and  the  Book;  or,  Biblical  Illustra- 
tions drawn  from  the  Manners  and  Customs,  the  Scenes  and  the  Scenery  of  the 
Holy  Land.  By  W.  M.  Thomson,  D.D.,  Twenty-live  Years  a Missionary  of  the 
A.B.C.F.M.  in  Syria  and  Palestine.  With  Two  elaborate  Maps  of  Palestine,  an 
accurate  Plan  of  Jerusalem,  and  Several  Hundred  Engravings , representing  the 
Scenery,  Topography,  and  Productions  of  the  Holy  Laud,  and  the  Costumes,  Man- 
ners, and  Habits  of  the  People.  Two  large  12mo  Volumes,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

VAMBERY’S  CENTRAL  ASIA.  Travels  in  Central  Asia:  being  the  Account  of  a 
Journey  from  Teheran  across  the  Turkoman  Desert,  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of  the 
Caspian,  to  Khiva,  Bokhara,  and  Samarcand,  performed  in  the  Year  1863.  By 
Akminies  Vamiiery,  Member  of  the  Hungarian  Academy  of  I’esth,  by  whom  ho 
was  sent  on  this  Scientific  Mission.  With  Map  and  Woodcuts.  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  50. 

VIRGINIA  ILLUSTRATED : containing  a Visit  to  the  Virginian  Canaan,  and  the 
Adventures  of  Porte  Crayon  and  his  Cousins.  Illustrated  from  Drawings  by 
Porte  Crayon.  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

WALLACE'S  MALAY  ARCHIPELAGO.  The  Malay  Archipelago:  the  Land  of  the 
Orang-Utan  and  the  Bird  of  Paradise.  A Narrative  of  Travel,  1854-62.  With 
Studies  of  Man  and  Nature.  By  Alfred  Russel  Wallace.  With  Maps  and  nu- 
merous Illustrations.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

WELLS’S  EXPLORATIONS  IN  HONDURAS.  Explorations  and  Adventure?  in 
Honduras ; comprising  Sketches  of  Travel  in  the  Gold  Regions  of  Olaucho,  and 
a Review  of  the  History  and  General  Resources  of  Central  America.  By  William 
V.  Wells.  With  Original  Maps  and  numerous  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

WHYMPER’S  ALASKA.  Travel  and  Adventure  in  the  Territory  of  Alaska,  formerly 
Russian  America— now  ceded  to  the  United  States— and  in  various  other  Parts 
of  the  North  Pacific.  By  Frederick  Whympeii.  With  Map  and  Illustrations. 
Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

WILKINSON’S  ANCIENT  EGYPTIANS.  A Popular  Account  of  the  Ancient 
Egyptians.  Revised  and  abridged  from  his  larger  Work.  By  Sir  J.  Gardner 
Wilkinson,  D.C.L.,  F.R.S.,  &c.  Illustrated  with  500  Woodcuts.  2 vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $3  50. 


